Stevie Rae's child
by Thomas G. Arndt
Summary: I had this Idea and I have no rights to the House of Night series, but I thought you might enjoy my take on Stevie Rae's and Raphraim's vision, please look at it and give me comments on how you might change my idea.
1. Chapter 1

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

A view that I had

Chapter 1

" What do you mean it's positive, we're dead it can't be positive," Stevie Rae's eye's shot to her favorite man with and almost pleading look in them, then she said, " well I guess that vision is coming true."

Raphraim then came over to her, and he put his arm's around her and said, " Don't worry we can do it."

" How, I'm asleep during the day, and your a f-ing bird."

Zoey then came over and said, " Stevie Rae, the twins and I can lend a helping hand, we can do this."

" You might be all powerful High Priestess and stuff, but you're a vampyre to, you have to sleep, and we live in a sewer."

Raphraim then said in his no nonsense way, " Stevie Rae we live in Prohibition tunnels dear, these are not sewers, and we've made it our home for so long, we can raise this baby."

Zoey then added, " And we can skip a few hours of sleep, plus he or she will most likely be awake at night anyways, and she will be spoiled rotten by her aunts."

Stevie Rae then countered, " He."

" How do you know that?"

" We had a vision together, in our vision she was a he, now Y'all can't loose that much sleep, so we'll need something more like a nanny."

" Stevie Rae, we can't really allow a nanny down here, I mean what if she gets eaten?"

" No one ate Aphrodite yet, no offense Aphrodite?"

Standing in the door way she said, " Not that they haven't tried, good thing I have Darius."

Zoey gave her a you are not helping look, then her look turned to a smile as she said, " Well we have a live in nanny already, I think we can do this."

Stevie Rae then gave her a confused look, then she followed her stare to Aphrodite and she got a big smile as well, this made Aphrodite get a nervous shutter as she asked, " What?" It only took a nano second for her to realized what they were thinking, and she then spit out with an evil sneer, " No way, in fact no fucking way, I'm screwed up, I can't be a nanny."

Zoey then said, " Its the only possible way for her to do this, and it has to be the goddesses will, I mean Stevie Rae was right, she is kinda undead like, so only the goddess could have bestowed this upon her."

" You, are, sounding, like, Damien, he's the wordsmith here, and I guess if its the goddess will I'll have to say, yes. But I'll have to put in a formal complaint to her, I mean I know I'm going to screw her up, and what will you say if she turns out like me?"

Stevie Rae then shuttered as she replied, " Well then I'll have to love her anyways, I mean I had to learn how to love you, and y'all know how hard that was for me?"

Zoey then asked, " I wonder how long it will take her, I mean him to mature in your womb?"

" What do you mean?"

" Well you know your not exactly human, it has to be at a different rate as human children."

" What if it takes longer, I don't know, I'm not sure I can take nine months let alone like two years."

" The goddess would never give you more then you can bare."

" Yeah I guess you're right, I mean it wasn't as if I lost it and bit Aphrodite on the neck and got my humanity back right, oh wait that did happen."

" Stevie Rae! You have to trust in the goddess."

" I know, I know, except I haven't had such a good track record with our goddess."

" Seesh, Stevie Rae it isn't like you'll be all alone here, I mean we have Kamisha, and the twins, plus you know I'll give you a hand."

" I know, Z I'm just scared, I mean have any of you had a baby before, and now I'm going to get fat and all, and y'all please none of those fat jokes."

Shawnee then chimed in, " Please, just please . . ."

Erin then added, " it'll be easy pleasie, and we would never . . ."

Shawnee ended, " to you."

Zoey had to laugh as it seemed that the more the twins were together the more in sink they seemed to bet, she wondered if they should cut out the middle man and just marry each other, of course since they both really liked boys there would be a problem with that. Then she saw the strain on Stevie Rae's face and knew in her mind that she was in trouble, not physically but mentally, so she went over to her and gave her best look as she said, " Stevie Rae none of has ever had a baby before, but we'll all be here for you, and Raphraim loves you to death."

She gave a heavy sigh and said, " Yeah I know, that's how I got into this mess, we love each other far to much, well and I kinda like it, oh Raphraim I think we have to stop having sex."

Raphraim came to her side as Aphrodite spit out, " Oh please, am I in bumpkin hell, Stevie Rae you can have sex with him, just because you're having a baby doesn't mean your life has to end," she the was quiet for a second then added, " Not that I want to know about your sex life, oh hell I don't want to know about anyone's sex life."

Darius then came in and asked, " Who's sex life are we talking about?"

In his own way he had changed greatly, after the major attack on their compound by Neferet, and it came to light that her main target was Aphrodite, it was only the advent of her long time friend Venus that had saved her, and how badly she was hurt, he could see how it affected Aphrodite. He had to think that Aphrodite wasn't used to having such a good friend, and the way that the tracked Erik had taken it upon himself to care for her, he was truly out side his element and the High Priestess and stark had helped him. Then they saw Stevie double up in pain, it was strange how Aphrodite seem to know that they had to do the test for a baby, it was as if she knew what the pain, this made him think that she may have had to give up a baby. He would have to ask her about it later. It came to him that the way things were going there might not be a later, they can't go back to the campus as an all out war has been called upon them, the only thing that's saving them from the High Councils interference is the sudden death of three of them. Zoey had said it was Neferet's fault, he had to think that maybe she knew something that no one else knows, but it wasn't his place to question her, after all she is their and his High Priestess, and what she had done to the kids at the House of Night was far beyond all of a High Priestesses capabilities, so it had to be true that Neferet was somethnig else. He shook himself from his thought's and asked, " Stevie Rae how do you feel?"

Stevie Rae then smiled at him and replied, " Except for me having a baby, well normal, and I'm sorry you had to leave Aphrodite to save me, I'm just glad Venus got there in time, Hey Z did Stark tell you what we saw?"

Zoey seemed to shutter as she replied, " Yeah, and I kinda saw it to, what was that?"

" I don't know, I mean it looked like a normal boy, the way he dished out damage and took it, but did you see the way he just stopped when you screamed at him, what was up with that."

" I did see that, and the way he seemed to cry as he stood there, I think it unnerved Neferet to, and the way she grabbed him and ran with him, it was as if he couldn't not do what she told him."

Aphrodite then made a strange sound, then she said, " Excuse me where did that come from," everyone then laughed and she then made the sound even louder, and she said, " Whoa that almost hurt, I think I need a bro mo."

" Aphrodite are you all right?"

" I don't know Z, my chest has a numb feeling to it, and my right arm doesn't seem to work . . . DARIUS!"

She clasped to the floor, and Darius was there to keep her from hitting the floor, she then spit out, " DAMN!"

Her eye's rolled back in her head as if she was having a vision, Zoey moved to her side and Darius then ripped open her dress, he started to do C. P. R. Zoey then yelled, " GO GET STARK!"

Erik broke into the room, and he put his hand on her head and then was helping Darius with his C. P. R. Damien then came in with Venus in his arm's and asked, " Erik why did you, oh my Erik I'll take over so you can help Venus."

He then said, " Damien I heard her heart flutter, you'll have to spell Darius in a few, she maybe having a heart attack."

Darius then cried, " NO! I can't loose her, she's my entire life, please lovely Princess you have to survive."

Zoey then said, " I don't know how, but Neferet is behind this, I'll call the spirit to help her, everyone else do the same, maybe with our help we can avoid this."

Everyone then centered themselves, and so did Damien as Stark ran in to help Darius, they all threw their abilities to help her, then beyond all hope the goddess appeared and said in a musical tone, _Neferet has done this and she is beyond all hope, Zoeybird put all your spirit within her and I will help you in this unwanted death._

Then she was gone, it was then that we did exactly what she told us to do, I trust my spirit within her, I knew this would scare Stark and I hoped he was strong enough to wait for whatever the goddess had planned, then as I saw through her eye's I could see her spirit getting ready to leave. I used my spirit to pull her back into her body, and with a trust of her chest I could then see something different, she seemed to be able to see everyone's spirit as it existed in them, and Zoey knew exactly what had just happened. She then returned to her body, and as she came around and said, " Darius you can stop, Aphrodite has made the change."

Darius then looked at her with tears going down his face, Zoey put her hand on his face and added, " Aphrodite can't be touched by her ever again, the goddess has given her apart of her own spirit, you can get up now Aphrodite."

She lifted her head and smiled, Darius then said, " How can this be, she was nothing but a human, and where are her tattoo's, she's can't be a vampyre."

Aphrodite then said, " Honey I'm more then a vampyre, the goddess has given me a thread of her, so instead of being a mortal I'm an Immortal, Zoey I feel so light, I think I could take on the world with such power, I think I'm the answer to Heath. A wait how did I know that, that monster was created to fight you, but some how there's part of Heath in there, Zoey if we can get through to him we may have a new weapon, and the key is you, I have a feeling that like you I could do all the same things."

" The goddess created us all, so it would figure that she would be able to do what I could do, but she has given us free will, so why would she do this to you unless this is only temporary, I think your our tool again that creature, or even Neferet."

Stevie Rae then spoke up, " Zoey is this normal?"

Everyone then looked to see a small bump where it was flat just a little while ago, Zoey put her hand on the bump and felt a sudden movement and said, " No, but for you I think yes, I'm no doctor, but I'm sure you shouldn't be showing yet, but you guys have got to feel this, its so cool, you can feel it move."

Instantly everyone was there putting their hands on her stomach, and with giggles they all felt it move, she had to smile as she said, " Dang Y'all, at this rate I'm going to have this baby within a week or so."

Damien then said, " If I have it right, two weeks and three days, Stevie Rae I think Z was right, I think the goddess is preparing us for something and that usually isn't good."


	2. Chapter 2

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

I had a new idea

Chapter 2

So exactly when was the poo going to hit the fan, and wouldn't that be a disgusting vision. We figured Stevie Rae got pregnant about a week ago, and it's unbelievable how fast she's showing, I hate how much its hurting her. Raphraim has been there the entire time, and its like none of us are doctors, of course Damien has been online constantly since we found out. The twins have been at her beck and call, I think they're trying to prove they're going to be good aunts, Stark and I went to her mothers house and told her the news. You should see all the cute baby things she sent back with us, and Darius with Stark's help have gone into the old tunnels to see if they can make a baby's room for the little bundle of joy. But don't ever say that to Stevie Rae, man she bit my head off when I said it, and I do have to say that the new and improved Aphrodite is a wonderful new thing. I mean she left the tunnels and came back with more baby stuff then you can imagine, and I'm not just talking about clothes, a crib, bassinet, changing table, and one of those new high speed strollers. You now the type you see women running with, I have to wonder if it can take the speed of a vampyre, I mean why do you need a car when you can run so fast, I can't wait until I make the change.

Stevie Rae then got through my mind babble, " Z you're are not even listening to me."

I shook my head as I said, " I'm sorry Stevie Rae, I was just thinking of how great it'll be to have a baby here."

" I still don't think it was smart to clear those old tunnels, I mean we don't have any idea of what theirs down there."

" Stevie Rae what are we all the fledglings we've gained, I should have told them to stay at the House of Night, but I couldn't with Neferet using so many fledglings the way she is, and just what are those things?"

" Your asking me, I can feel their nature being disrupted, and you know the council will intervene, they have to."

" Just in case I send a text to the isle of Skye, Sgiach said she's sending a guard for each of our council members, and an extra for the child in your womb, she still won't leave her island, but we did some serious texting."

" That's good Z, except what do we do until then?"

" Well during the day Darius and Erik haven't had much problem with those things, and the night is covered by your fledglings and Stark, he's learning how to do what they can do. Of course he's killed the most, but Kamisha is a close second to him, and don't worry Sgiach told me she would send me a list of those that are coming from the island, and the time of their plane arrival, Darius and I will meet them."

" Hey Z, what about the nuns, I mean Neferet knows they helped us, shouldn't we go tell them or something."

" Ohmygoddess, I forgot about them, and I think they can help with your birth, well the child's birth, I mean your already here and well, I'll just go text Sister Mary Angela and see if we can meet, do you think I should tell her everything, or hold some back."

" A Z, they're just humans, how much can you really tell them?"

" Well in her own way she already knows a lot, even though she calls our goddess the Virgin Mary, and I think if she has the warning she can react."

" Then you should really tell her about Neferet, did you text Sgiach about Neferet?"

" Yeah, that was half of all our texting was about, I mean I tried to answer every question she had, and she had a lot, I think she knows what she's become, but she says she's going to stay on her island for awhile yet, yes that's what she said awhile."

" I wonder what that means, I would really love to meet her, what little Aphrodite and you told me I think I'd like to meet her."

" Hey are you guys ready?" Came from the door, our heads went up to see the twins standing at the door, I smiled at them and waved them in, each then got on each side of her and helped her up, I then grabbed the two towels, and led the way down the corridor to the showers. We always had to wait until the showers were cleared by Darius to take one, not that we had seen any of those things in there, but as he said it was always better to be safe then sorry, and he always made sure we were left alone so Stevie Rae could get a good soak. I flipped my phone open as we walked and hit her number, in just seconds she answered, " Hello Zoey."

I then said, " Hello Sister Mary Angela, I have to talk to you, but we'll have to meet in private, can you think of a place where we can't be disturbed."

" Is it that bad?"

" Worse, and what ever you do don't contact the House of Night, Neferet has gone off the deep end, and we may have need a nurse nun over here."

" Why is someone hurt?"

" Yeah, plus we have a pregnant girl here who can't go to the hospital, well because she's a vampyre, and well you know."

" Yes honey, well how far is she along?"

" Well just over a week, but she's growing at an alarming rate, and because its so fast she's having pain in strange places, Damien figures she's just under the half way point, except there's no book on how a vampyre pregnancy really lasts, and we can't go to Neferet for the help we so need."

" It isn't one of the twins, I don't think they could handle a baby, and that Aphrodite, I think she would drown it."

" No its Stevie Rae, and you should see how much Aphrodite has changed, I think she'll make a good aunt, well anyways she's really having a bad time of it, so what do you think?"

" Poor child, I think we should meet at Street Cats, or my place at the church."

" No, she knows about those places and is probably watching them, I had to call my Grandmother and she's set up a bunch of protection spells to warn her, and she's called in something call the spirit warriors, I have no idea of what they are."

" Its good to her Silvia is protected, and they are and old group of protection warrior of the Cherokee, if half of the stories are true I fear for your Neferet if she crosses their line, and Zoey they can detect evil from a mile away so they will always be there for your Grandmother."

" That's good to hear, I wish we had a few of them here, but we're doing pretty well, I mean we can't move, but they can't come in."

" Then how are you going to get out to meet me?"

" We'll figure out a way, I mean we have to."

" Zoey, we can send you one nun, and she can help relay all our messages, well that's if you have room for a nun."

We came to the stairs, and I had to say, " Sister Mary Angela I have to go up some stairs, I'll call you back in a moment, kay?"

" Ok dear, call me right back."

" Okey dokey."

Then I looked up as I hung up and asked, " Raphraim are you up there?"

He poked his head through and replied, " I await my lovely bride."

I smiled at him and then went up the stairs, then the twins helped her get on the steps, and we took her arm's as we helped her up, then as she was up she put her arm's around Raphraim's neck and kissed him, he was such a cute boy, and he always blushed when she did this. Then I stood there making sure the twins didn't fall, then we went to the showers and as usual Raphraim tried to follow, I smiled at him as I closed the door in his face and said, " Girls only remember."

We then sat her in the small wading pool we set up for her to take a bath, Raphraim always made sure the pool was always the right temperature, then I set the temperature of the shower so it was just right for her. By then the twins were taking their showers, you have to know that Stevie Rae only had a small bump, it was all that was happening to her body that made it hard to move. I then gave her the bar of soap and smiled at her then she soaped herself up as I waited, I took off my robe as I was next into the showers after one of the twins got done, we figured it was safe since there were only girls in here. She made that face she always did when she was ready to be sprayed, so I moved the shower head and she wiped off the soap on her body, of course I moved the shower head around to help her. I got wet, but I figured I was going to take a shower anyways, then I took out the baby shampoo for her, the other stuff burnt her eye's, and as she lathered up Erin came over and said, " We're done, hey Stevie Rae do you want a steam bath today?"

She smiled at her and replied, " That would be nice, hey where is Aphrodite?"

From down at the end stall came, " I'm down here, Kramisha and I brought all the lotions and oils for Stevie, but we figured we would take a shower first."

Shawnee then said, " Give me the pink stuff and I'll rub it in Stevie Rae's body as she dries off."

Erin then said, " Yeah, and the green stuff for her hair."

I smiled at them and stepped into the shower next to Stevie Rae's to take my shower, I knew she was in good hands, and the twins would primp and polish her into a raving beauty after they got done she would one hundred times better, then as our way I did the same as she had done, it was away to save time, not that anyone could get by Raphraim. Well first they would have to get passed our out side guards, and both Stark and Darius would die before they allowed that to happen, I was glad that Venus was able to rob that archery shot before she got hurt, she must have gotten Stark like a thousand arrows. I used my favorite strawberry shampoo as I had moved to my hair, I could feel the steam rising, Shawnee and Erin were at work, so Stevie Rae must be done and waiting, as my body was still wet I backed out to see that yes I was right, she sat on the padded chair we got for her. Aphrodite then came over and sat in her chair as she did Stevie Rae's nails, because of the way she was her nail were horrible, so Aphrodite would file them down to a nice sharp edge, then she would paint them, Stevie Rae liked a passion pink color, where as Kamisha would paint her's the color of her hair, which was purple today. I had to giggle and ask, " Kramisha you fold your purple nail polish?"

She smiled at me and said, " Yur girl here told me dis red goes wit it."

Aphrodite then said, " Hey I know what goes together, plus I kinda like that purple wig, it would be ashamed if we never saw her in it again, oh Erik said he would make sure Venus gets a good shower after he got back, you know I think they're doing it, who would have thunk."

I then said, " Kramisha your rubbing off on Aphrodite, hey did you bring that other baby oil?"

Erin then replied as she handed me the clear bottle, " Always Z, hey how is Stark doing, I mean, well you know?"

" He's still having problems, hey has Damien had any luck in his search yet?"

Shawnee replied, " Sadly no, miss queen has been to busy with Stevie Rae, but he said he'd get right back on it as soon as he got done with her."

" Stevie Rae is more important right now, plus we may have help soon, ah hell, I forgot to call her back, I hope she isn't mad."

Aphrodite then said, " Highly unlikely, I mean she is your Grandmother."

I flipped out my cell phone and said, " I meant the Sister, she said she maybe able to give us help, and she said they had a nurse nun."

" What ever, hey you might want to tell her she or they may want to come incognito if you know what I mean."

I then hit her number and she came straight on saying, " Zoey what took you so long?"

" A I had to get Stevie Rae into her shower." I wonder if its a sin to lie to a nun, I mean I couldn't tell her I forgot.

" Well I talk to the hospital and found a nun that will help, her name is Sister Mary Mary-angelic, we call her Mary Mary, and I've made sure she knew about your unique circumstances."

" Good another problem we thought of, she may have to come incognito, you know to protect herself from all the strangeness."

" I already thought about that, and she's had six years of college in nursing, and she's ready for a new challenge, oh and I should say the Vatican has sent experts to the city, she asked me if you would like them to send an emissary to you?"

" How could they help?"

" They're are experts in the ridding the land of ramped vampyres, your High Council doesn't like them, but they're here and you might want to use them as it were, I understand that you're stuck in your, a layer as it were right, and you still are the good guys right?"

" Yes of course, but they're human's right, I mean how can a human be any good against what we face?"

" Zoey the High Council isn't the only ones that have vampyres you know, and they've been doing it for generations, but the Vatican will disavow that they exist if they get caught or killed."

" Vampyres, wow I would never have thought, well he'll have to hide his mark and do the same as the Sister to get in."

" They are sworn to protect humanity, they'll do what it takes as well as my Sister, now can you tell me where you are?"

" Yes, you know the old Tulsa depot?"

" Yes you told me about them."

" Well we're in the old tunnels, if Stevie Rae was up to it, she would just make another tunnel for you."

" What about you, I mean you have the same affinity right?"

" Yeah, except I'm not quiet as powerful as her, it may take me a few days, and I think we need them her pronto. Ug I can't believe I just said that."

" Ok, they will be there as the sun rises, after all Father Timothy told me they have to go to sleep then, oh and we know a little of what Neferet has created, those poor children, she really needs to go straight to hell."

" Those things are the kids?"

" Yes, but she can only made two or three at a time, we call them Chillion's, and the Hebrew called Maullawk, those poor children, at least their spirits have to be at rest by the time they're created."

" No! She's killing them to create those things?"

" I'm sorry to say yes, and I've heard there's some upheaval in the High Council, they may not be able to help you."

" I have to text Sgiach, she'll know what to do."

" Ok, look for two at dawn, and I'll be waiting for you confirmation that they have arrived."

" Ok, thanks again, I'll make sure Darius know that they're coming."

" Well may the saints be with you Zoey?"

" What?"

" That's how a good nun says goodbye."

" Oh, goodbye."

Then she hung up, I turned to my friends and said, " Well she's sending us help, and you won't believe what one of them is."

They all said at once, " A vampyre."

" I guess I wasn't that quiet, yeah anyways they seem to have a whole lot of them, and they're here because of Neferet, I think we should go and get dressed."

They all nodded in agreement, we then all wrapped ourselves in towels and then put on our robes, then we did every thing in reverse order as we left, Stevie Rae helped me get dress, well not really, she just made sure I did everything right and not hurry to fast. You know like not put on my underwear, even though I was in a hurry, she always says, the boys can wait, I think Aphrodite is wearing off on her, it was common to see her (Aphrodite) laying on her (Stevie Rae) stomach listening to the baby. I really can't believe how much friends they are becoming, I mean she still gives her snide remarks as she does it, and for Stevie Rae to say, ' Be nice or I won't let you listen.' I then ran to Darius at his post as he called it, I would go out the grate and he would say hello there, who are you?

And as I got close sure enough he said, " Well hello there, who's coming out of the grate?"

I then said, " Its me Darius."

" Oh Priestess, what brings you up?"

" I have news, a how many are out there?"

" Twelve, two got to close and Stark showed them an arrow each, they backed off, what news do you have?"

" I got hold of Sister Mary Angela and she's sending help for Stevie Rae, but she has to be escort by one of their own, hey did you know the Vatican has vampyres?"

" Yes the order of Saint Helios, they are the Son's of Erebus's arch enemies, they're not sending one of those are they?"

" Well she told me he was a vampyre, so it just might be, they're here because of Neferet, she also told me that the High Council is in total disarray, so they won't be here to help us, but I got hold of Sgiach and she is sending us I guess eight warriors. She said she would send us the date and time, hey that router is working really well in the tunnels, I didn't have one interruption while once while I called them."

" I knew that it would work, has Aphrodite told you how much it cost her, would you like to sit awhile?"

" Yeah where is he?"

" On the roof, I think he killed something strange up there."

" I'll check it out, so what's your word?"

" Priestess you have to listen at our debriefings, it is underhouse."

" Thanks Darius, byia. "

" Have a good time Priestess, and no sex he has to be on alert."

" Darius!"

I then went to the roof and as I exited I said, " Underhouse."

He came over and kissed me, he then gave me a stern look and said, " You're suppose to wait until I challenge you, hey you might want to look at this?" We then moved to the edge of the roof, he smiled at me and said, " I got it in one shot, it looks like Kalona is sending his troops to check on you."

We were looking at a Raven mocker laying dead on the ground, so I asked, " Did you ask Raphraim to see if he knew him?"

" No not yet, we've been a little busy."

" Yeah I heard, Sister Mary Angela told me that we were right it is the kids, but Neferet has to kill them to do that to them, and that might be the reason why its so hard to kill them."

" She's an abomination to vampyre society, at least we've killed ten, well if they're dead I guess I should say we destroyed ten, well the High Council will never put up with this."

" Well they can't do anything about them, it seems that they are in disarray, she told me that also, but hey Sgiach is sending us eight warriors to help, and Sister Mary Angela is sending in special help also, did you know the Vatican has vampyres also?"

" No I didn't."

I sighed and said, " Yeah, two are supposed to be here by morning, that's one of the reasons I came up here."

He gave me his crooked smile and asked, " And what is the other reason?"

I grabbed his collar and said, " Come here you."

Then we started to kiss, that deep kiss we both loved.


	3. Chapter 3

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

When the spirit calls

Chapter 3

Silvia

I had been doing this for so long I had no idea I would ever have need of them, but Zoeybird was right, she did send those things after me, and what she did to my child, I couldn't believe what they did with those things, I mean when they were done there was nothing but little pieces left. My chief had made me hide so I have no idea of how those three warriors did it, I can say that I thought I heard wolves and maybe a bear, Chief Sam Fielder has left Running Wolf and John Hadder hear to watch me, but why they insist to sleep outside while I have an extra room is beyond me. Well at least they excepted my cooking, so they'll eat well, and my girlfriend Anna is staying with me for now, she's really young for an old woman like me, but she's so refreshing like all my Grand daughter's friends, I think she may have a thing for Running Wolf, I'm in my fifty's and she's in her thirty's, but he can't be more then twenty.

" Hey Silvia," the chief said to me, "I think I'll be leaving now, the boys are set for a little while, is there anything you need?"

" No Sam I'm good, did you get that space heater for them?"

" Yeah, but the weather said that it's suppose to be warm the next few days, I showed them how to use it if they need it."

" Good, I worried for them the other night, it was so cold."

" They're young Silvia, they can take the cold, well better us old folks can, hey have you thought about the dance?"

" Yeah, I think it's better if I wait to see if Zoey calls me, I have to think she'll need me soon."

" You're to good to her, she should pay more attention to you, you know."

" Sam she's a High Priestess of the vampyres, she has to many things on her plate right now, besides she's the one that told me about those things, she's keeping an eye out for me."

" Well it was good that the medicine man saw them coming or we wouldn't have been here on time."

" And who's fault was that Sam?"

" You know I worry about you out here all by yourself, and those things just prove my belief's."

" Give an old lady her freedom Sam, and I seem to remember someone being told two days before they showed up."

" Well I had to put it to the elders first, and you know how fast they are, but these things have made them react faster anyways."

He was making me a little angry so I had to center myself to control my temper as I said, " Sam you could have sent your boys first, and don't tell me that you had to ask the elders, you've bypass them many a time, plus you have your own guard, if you were concerned about me you would have sent them."

He put his hands up and said, " Whoa Silvia I did my best, I just didn't know the severity of the situation, and besides . . ."

I looked hard at him and said as he trailed off, " She's only a girl, so you had a problem believing her, Sam you don't know what she's been through, and on top of that losing her mother like that, and the way her step father treated her, you should have used your head." My temper was rising so I had to shut up before I said something I may regret later.

" Yeah well Silvia you didn't tell me she was a High Priestess, I would have listened closer, all I know her as is that little twelve year old I met at one of our meetings, but I know to listen to her more closely now. Hey do you know why she was out here anyways, I mean your daughter?"

" No, but I think it had something to do with her husband, he really makes me mad some times, and how he won't even bring those kids out to see their Grandma, and I worry about them so much, if those things hurt them, I think I'll just go off on him."

" Well that's a sight I would like to see, do you know how he talked to Seven Weaver, the only reason he hasn't been cut off is because of the kids, but I have been sending out our warriors to watch them for you."

" Thanks Sam, have they seen anything?"

" Yeah, they killed two of those things, whomever is doing this has no idea of what they're up against, my warriors took care of them really simply."

" Why didn't you tell me, I have to get those kids out here, I mean they aren't his real kids, I have to get them in my custody."

He sighed and asked, " Did you call the tribal lawyer?"

I looked at him hard and said, " He said I can't get control because I'm an Indian, and of course we had words."

" Of course you did, you didn't piss him off to much did you?"

" Yes, but he said he'll try to help me anyways, where did we get such a man?"

" He's Lois's son, he's a good boy, and I think he kind likes you, I mean as a friend, not the other way."

" Sam he's what twenty maybe?"

" Twenty-eight, he's not been out of school that long, but he gets things done and that's all that matters."

" Well Sam I think the tribe needs a better lawyer then a young kid."

He smiled at me and asked, " Who's the one that said we have to give the young a chance?"

I had to laugh as I replied, " Well I guess that was me, well he'll ;earn my wrath if those kids are hurt."

" I have to go," as he laughed with me, and added, " I think if he knew that he would be trembling in his designer shoes."

" Go Sam," I said sternly then added for comfort, " and he knows."

He laughed as he got into his truck and added as he pulled away, " Well he has to be trembling now, I'll be back in two days."

I waved good bye to him as smiled at him, Running Wolf came up to me and said, " Priestess Redbird we'll run one more round them turn it, now will you go in and go to sleep?"

" Yes Running Wolf, now you two be careful, and I think I'll cook steaks in the morning."

" Miss Redbird you're making us fat."

I had to smile at him and say, " I get so little chance to cook for such young men, it does an old lady happy to cook for you."

" Priestess Redbird you're not old."

" Young man I'm older then your mother," but what he said made me happy, it was as if Zoey was there talking to me, and I added, " but for that young man I think I'll cook cinnamon rolls in the morning."

He smiled at me and ran off, I had to see that he was such a good man, I really hoped he didn't run into anything, then I went into my house to have one more glass of wine before bed.

Darius

I was on guard and could hear both Stark and Zoey up there, I wish she wouldn't do that, he needs to be on guard duty, and I wish he could get rid of his control issues, then he could do it like Aphrodite and I do, she is such a wonderful kisser. But at least its almost the end of our watch, I wonder what's taking Erik and Damien so long, it's probably Damien, he likes to make sure that computer of his gets turned off properly, he needs to get more sleep, I know Zoey needs to know all that stuff, but she could give him a rest. And I have to say that the twins seem to do nothing, I mean its Zoey, Stevie Rae, or Aphrodite, maybe I should talk to Zoey, I think she doesn't delegate enough, at least I can control the boys and I have found that Kramisha was such a fine warrior. I had to wonder where she learned to fight like that, surely she never entered warrior training, I will have to ask her the next time we're on watch together, she acts so hard, yet I see a softer side to her, I think she could just be an amazon warrior. Darius was pull out of his wondering with the sudden screeching of tires, he pulled his weapons and was ready for battle, then he saw a car moving toward him and its tires were smoking, so he yelled, " STARK BE ON ALERT!"

The car moved with such expertise that it was as if it was one of those stunt drivers from the movies, and it was such a small thing, he had to think it was a mini Cooper, in almost one motion it turned and ended up right next to the Hummer that they had driven from the House of Night. And almost as fast a warrior was out of the car with his hands up saying, " Be at peace it is I Hoverious, the good nuns sent me to you, and I bring the good healer with me, I have been told to ask for Zoey Redbird."

A very large man, no he's more then man, he's a vampyre, he had on a charcoal gray suit on with a long black cape with red interior, I couldn't believe he had on a cape, who wears capes anymore, then I had to ask, " Zoey is there any way we should know them?"

She then replied from the roof, " Hoverious can you tell us the nuns nick name for the sister?"

He looked confused then bent down and whispered, then he rose and replied, " Sister Mary Mary."

" Its them Darius, hey I'll be right down."

I then said, " Priestess just jump down I'll catch you."

Then she showed how much she trusted me by flinging herself off the roof, I had to wish she had given me some warning as I scrambled to catch her, but I did my job well and she never hit the ground, then I placed her on the ground and scolded her, " Priestess you have to give me a warning, what if I had dropped you."

She smiled at me and said, " I trust you Darius, did you see how much he looked like a text book vampyre, well I guess we'll have to correct that."

" He does look quiet the bit like Dracula, and we'll have to make sure he knows the cape isn't part of the normal attire of a vampyre."

She had to laugh as she said, " And you, you need to start to us the lesser tongue if you want to pass as one of us, now lets go see if they need help."

Then we move to the rear of the vehicle, he was as large as I had thought, he had to be over seven feet tall, and I had to look at the vehicle he had just drove and wonder how he fit in there, then I noticed that the nun wasn't moving so I said, " Priestess you may want to tend to the nun, she doesn't seem to be moving, if you need my help I'll be right here."

Hoverious then handed me a very large bag as he took the other three, then we moved to the door as Erik and Damien came out, I set the bag down and Damien ran to help Zoey, then I spoke to Erik, " These are our new guests, this is Hoverious, and the faint one is Sister Mary Mary, they led a halfhearted attack last night, so you may have activity, how is Venus?"

He had a worried look on his face as he said, " Still about the same, I wish we could give her more blood, I mean I understand why not, but she really needs it right now."

" I understand, and it is true that we need her special talents right now, maybe I can talk the priestess into giving her more blood."

" Good luck on that, you know how it is when Zoey makes up her mind, I wish I could do what she does, then I could help, and of course she could have the blood she so needs."

" Have you tasted her blood yet?"

" No, she's to week for that, but I would wait for her anyways, I mean I pushed Zoey and look where that led me, I just don't know how far I can push her, I know I used her and she knows it, I have-"

He trained off and I knew what he was going to say so I added, " I know you feel bad about that, but you were angry at Zoey, and we make bad choices when we're mad, but you're doing good by her now, so just stay the course and she will come to you."

He sighed and said, " Yeah, but she should just drop me like a hot potato, I should have learned my lesson with Aphrodite, well at least she has a good man now."

" Just like the High Priestess."

" I'm not so sure about that, I mean the control issues that he has, well it makes me worried for Zoey's safety."

" I worry also, but I wasn't talking about her, I was speaking about Stevie Rae, I think Raphraim would take a bullet for her, and that would be bad."

" That would be real bad, can you imagine what she would do to the thing that hurt him, it makes me shake, man she has a lot of control over her element, I have to wonder how she does that?"

" I have thought about that, all the red fledglings are close to the earth, with this and her affinity it does make sense that she would especially good at it, just like how close Zoey got to her spirit, if she hadn't almost died I think she wouldn't be so close."

Zoey then poked her head out and asked, " Darius are you coming?"

" Yes Priestess, I think we are done here, where are you going to put Damien?"

" Raphraim wants to come out and help, so I thought I put him up there with him, do you think that's a good idea?"

" Yes that would be the right thing to do."

Zoey then said, " Yeah, and if you could, ask him if he knows the Raven Mocker Stark killed last night."

Erik had a worried look on his face as he said, " Oh just great, now he's back, and he sent a Raven Mocker to see where you are, well it looks like the shit has hit the fan again."

She smiled at him and said, " Yeah, just like normal, but he only sent one and Stark killed him."

I then said, " If Kalona has half a brain he sent backup to watch what happened, and he now knows that you are here, so we should expect a visit from him."

" Well you know I wasn't there, so he would never have seen me, so maybe not."

" Kalona knows that Stark will never leave your side, and he may grasp on the smallest thing, so it would be better to keep our guard up just in case,"

" Great!"

Erik repeated, " Great." then added, " Well that exasperates our blood problem, maybe we should just make a run, I mean if he attacks it will surely be depleted."

" Just Great!"

I then said, " High Priestess, we handle one problem at a time, now lets go see to our wounded."

" Ok Darius, lets go see Venus."

Zoey

Boys they always seemed to talk about the strangest things, and they call us gossip's, well at least we have help now, but I had to ask, " Sister Mary what kind of experience to you have with vampyres?"

She smiled at me and replied, " Dear I have none, but I've worked with humans now for eight years, and as you are a manifestation of a human strain it should help, and the rest we, I mean the vampyre elders and yourself can figure it out."

" You know normal drug don't work on us?"

" Yes dear, but Hoverious has brought some special drugs just for vampyres, and as he has also brought the instruction we should be able to help."

" Special drugs, you don't have any of that white liquid that makes you lose your mind do you?"

" I haven't had a chance to really look at it, but if we do just tell me who needs it and I will give it to them."

I sighed and said, " Well hopefully no one will, that stuff is terrible, Aphrodite told me about it, and I don't think we have the time to really use anything that will put us out."

She gave me a good smile as she said, " Oh I see, you were hoping that we didn't have it, well if we do I'll assure you that we won't use it unless we absolutely need it, you have my word as a healer."

" Ok then, now let me show you to our hurt fledgling, then I'll take you to Stevie Rae, even though she maybe asleep by the time we get there, you see she's a red vampyre and has to sleep during the day."

Darius then said, " High Priestess that wasn't a good thing to say, I mean they are our allies now, but we may have to fight them one day, and how they know about one of the red vampyres weaknesses."

" I'm sorry Darius, but if you can't trust a nun then whom can you trust?"

Darius then replied, " Priestess we have never fought nuns, I was thinking of her warrior."

I then looked at the very tall man following him, his hair was like that of Erik's, but his skin was darker, and he had to have a foot on Darius, I had thought that I would never see a vampyre taller then him, in a way he reminded me of a giant. If Darius was a mountain, then he had to be the Rocky mountain, in fact with his skin I had to think he might be of Indian descent, you know from India, not native American. And those bags he carried, if it were me I would have a problem with one let alone three, well maybe the small one, its just my size, and his massive hands, I think one could cover my face, but like most vampyres he wasn't really beautiful. His face seemed to be pot with scares, it made me think he had bad acme as a child or he had been in a lot of battles, and if he had been in a lot of battles, then that meant he was old, and just what is it that he fights against his own kind. Well I just had to ask the two questions on my mind, " Hoverious just how old are you?"

He smiled at me and replied, " It is a wise_ Priestess_ that see a true elder."

He Priestess as if he was spitting it out, " Hoverious that doesn't tell me anything."

" I am two hundred fifty six years a vampyre."

" Wow, that's old, I think Neferet is only one hundred years old, hey why have you joined the church against your own?"

" I haven't in a sense, I only do this to preserve our human ancestors, and the church is a conduit to work through."

" But you fight with us in your quest, I mean if your here to protect the human's, then in a way aren't you also killing human's when you kill us?"

" I only kill when I'm sure there's no other opposition for them, our kind are very powerful, and power corrupts, it is when this happens that I step in, but I won't tell you that I'm good, none of are good, but in the same sense none of us are evil. I can't believe we are of God, but I also can't believe God doesn't have a purpose for us, and it is up to us to find that purpose, and as we have free will we are as evil or good as we make ourselves, so in truth I believe the justice of what I do. But it is a hard journey for one such as myself, and in my life I have evil come out of good, and justice come out of injustice, so in truth I believe there is no such thing as black and white, but shades of gray is to simplistic."

" Well ok, here we are at Venus's room, Venus are you descent?"

She then replied in a strained voice, " Yes Zoey, hey can you see if Stevie Rae will give me another cup of blood?"

I opened the blanket and peeked in and replied, " We have help, and she wants to look at you, now you have to resist biting her, can you do that?"

" Oh. Is she human?"

" Yeah, a nun, can you do that?"

" Nuns. They scare me."

" Venus she's right behind me."

" Oh. My. God. I'm so sorry sister, a yeah sure you can come in, a Zoey you should-"

I cut her off with, " Yes I should have, now Darius and Hoverious guard the door if you will."

Darius then replied, " Yes Priestess."

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then said, " He's very devout to you, now child bare all your wounds so I can have a look."

We answered at the same time, me, " He's sworn to protect me with his life."

Venus, " Yes sister, Zoey can you give me a hand?"

I smiled at her and replied, " Sure Venus, how are you feeling?"

She gave a little wince of pain and replied, " Better, but it's taking so long to heal."

" I know, but we just don't have the blood right now, do you need a little dose of the spirit?"

" Just a little, we can't have our High Priestess to weak."

Weak, hell I wish I wasn't weak, then I could have already use my spirit to help her, I gave her a tired smile as I whispered, " Spirit I need you." Then I felt it fill me and I silently added, _go to her and heal her, _then as per usual it left me and filled her, Sister Mary Mary-angelic took the smallest bag and opened it up, it looked all the doctor kit. Then he started to poke her wounds and I could see the pain in her eye's, I allowed her to squeeze my hand as hard as she wanted, within moments she had looked at all the wounds, and in just a little more time she had redressed all the wounds. After she was done she crest her hair and asked, to help you heal you need a little b human blood?"

I replied, " Yes sister, and we only have a small amount, Darius what are we down to?"

He replied from just out side the door, " I think six bags mistress."

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then said, " Hoverious go ahead and give them the blood we brought, we only brought four bags, but I think her wounds are to great for just bag blood, so Venus you can feed from my arm."

She quickly replied, " What?"

" Child you need blood, and I'm sworn to protect and to heal, but you must know that you must stop and not kill me."

I then said, " I'll help you if it looks like she's going to far, Darius I may need your help so keep listening, so if-"

He cut me off with, " Yes Priestess."

Then sister Mary Mary-angelic put her arm in Venus's mouth, and then I thought of something that I was to late to tell her, because as soon as Venus bit down the moans of pleasure started with the both of them, so all I had to say was, " Ah hell."


	4. Chapter 4

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

Stranger things

Chapter 4

**I had this new idea and thought to put it in this chapter, I got it from the short second life of Bree.**

Zoey

Ok, you might be asking if it happened, the answer is yes, but as we said it was different for her, I mean she is a lady of God, so her Imprint had to be different, right? As soon as Venus released her, it was as if we all knew, and if that wasn't enough, we had confirmation with Venus's, " Oh shit."

All right, it was bad enough to have one bounding, as in Stevie Rae and Raphraim, but know we had two, and why did it seem to be so easy for the red fledglings, I mean if the hand book was right you had to have some kind of bond between you and the person you were bonded to. You know like Heath and me, and we all knew Venus and the good sister had no time to have that kind of relationship, but we had wok to do so I directed her to Stevie Rae's room, she was a sleep as I had predicted. So I move to her and woke her up, she was so groggy I'm not sure she even knew who was in her room, sister Mary Mary-angelic went right to work, she used a tape measure and then she said, " Daughter you seem to be at least six to seven months along, and you said this happened just over a week ago?"

I replied, " Yes, she was feeling like poo, so we tried to help her, but it was one of Kramisha's poems that told us to check her, Aphrodite got the test for her."

" Aphrodite is one of her friends?"

" Well yes and no, I mean she wasn't then she became her's, but it's more for the child then her."

Stevie Rae then asked, " Z who's this and why did I just let her check my stomach?"

" She's the nun nurse I told you about, oh and she gave us four more packs of blood."

She smiled at her and asked, " Are you friends Sister Mary Angela?"

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then replied, " I've met her, but friends, no, but I respect her, and did this out of respect for her, Zoey I believe the rapid growth of the fetus is causing great pressure on her bones, and since she has to use blood to heal I think that she needs a regular feeding. Is the father here, or has he died in your war?"

I waved my hand to very large raven perch on his perch and said, " Yeah he's over there, he never leaves her side."

She stared at the very large raven and asked, " Did he step out for a minute, because all I see is a very large raven."

" No that's him," then I realized how that sounded so I added, " That's his punishment, he has to live as a beast during the day, he killed one of my goddess very best children, well as an immortal not as a human, it's kinda complicated to explain."

" What? Is your goddess that cruel that she would do that to one of her own?"

I quickly responded, " No!" then I calmed myself down and continued, " No sister, he wasn't one of her own, he was the spawn of a very evil guy. But he chose Stevie Rae over him, he did it while he served him, and she just couldn't allow that to go unpunished so when she made him human she left part of his old self intact to remind him of what he had done. I mean it was very cruel to Stevie Rae, but in a sense it wasn't, you see she has a hard time with the day, so she does get him as a human boy during the day, he only returns to this state while she's asleep."

" I see." Then she directed my attention to the sleeping Stevie Rae, I helped her lay her down in her bed, then I smiled at her and whispered, " See usually sleeps now, maybe we should go to the kitchen and talk."

She whispered back, " I think that's a good idea, shouldn't you be asleep also?"

I smiled at her and directed her out of the room, as we walked I whispered, " We have seven red fledglings and two red vampyres, they all are forced to sleep during the day, and yes we do to, but it doesn't effect us as bad, so yes I will have to go to sleep, but I can stay up long enough to make sure you have a comfortable room."

" Child I'm a nun, I can sleep on a air mattress, I require nothing really, it's our way in this life."

" I know, but I like sister Mary Angela so much it would hurt me if she got a bad report, so please except our generous, but meager accommodations if you will, then you'll make a young High Priestess feel better."

" So you are your goddesses representative on earth, and in this you are my only link to what would be our Virgin Mary."

" Hun?"

" As a Priest is to our religion, so you will be my connection to your goddess."

" I guess so, even though I'm nothing but a fledgling myself, oh of the sapphire fledglings we now have twelve, and two, oh three full grown vampyres now, oh we have an inside vamp that some times come to bring us stuff like blood. I guess that's it."

She sighed and asked as I showed her to a seat, " Do you trust this inside vamp?"

I nodded as I said, " Yes, even though I fear for her, she has brought us fledglings she thought were in danger of being killed, and because of Neferet I would prefer that I didn't say her name, it's bad enough that my circle knows about her, Neferet can pull things out of our mind, well everyone except Aphrodite and me, she killed a very high member of our world with her mind, and in a way she fears her and I because she can't do that to us, but Neferet seems to be able to spy on us. It's through the darkness that she channels through her, we are at war with an immortal whom isn't as evil as she is, at once they were allies, but she turned on him and has made an enemy of him now, and when he released his son, something happened. He flew away and he released a white feather, I haven't said anything to the others, but as a fallen angel I think he's changing, he maybe seeing the good side now, but he still has to make the final choice, he's just been evil for so long. I don't know that he can change."

She smiled at me and asked, " Child my God is mysterious, he makes a preacher of those you would never see as such, and as I have read your goddess is also mysterious, so in their own way they maybe working great things through you, do not forget that, and listen to that small still voice as it were, it will never lead you wrong."

" That's what my goddess told me, but I'm afraid I do have a problem listening some times, my inner babble seems to always take control."

" Well child you're only human, in my word it says through man nothing is possible, but through God all is possible, I think that means that we will all make mistakes, but as we listen to them we can accomplish anything."

I sighed and said, " Yeah and I've made a lot."

She had to laugh as she answered, " And we haven't, you see man thinks they know better than God, and so they make mistakes all the time, and think of them more pious then others, and then they make those whom don't believe as they do that they are lesser then they are, but we all worship the same God. Well or goddess, and it just isn't right, I mean we are all human and we make mistakes, I mean aren't we all servants of our deity?"

" You see, you said man, it's like your church is only set up for men, and my church is set up for all."

" Child we use that term to represent all human's, but I'll try to use the term human from now on, and remember that the Virgin Mary is as important as her son Jesus, just like your goddess, I mean isn't Eberus as important to her as she is?"

" Well yes, but she is number one, where as Jesus is number one in your church, so doesn't that point to men being more important?"

" No, he is a servant to the body, just as my Virgin Mary is a servant, and I am a servant to my flock, you see we chose service over religion, and religion can be such a dirty word, what men have done in the name of religion. I think if God was here he would knock some of those religious men up side the head, and Jesus would be turning over in his grave if he was there, the statement do unto others isn't just a by phrase you know."

" I wish others would think as you do, I mean my step looser, I'm sorry sister, my step father gave my Grandma and me hell just for attending my mothers funeral, he says we are of the devil and shouldn't have been at her funeral."

" I know this path can be lonely, and as we go home they are the ones that shun us the most, so just stay your course and maybe one day he'll see the light, that kind of religion always sways man, I mean human's to leave, only the true faith in our God will truly survive in the end."

I sighed as I said, " I hope so," Aphrodite came into the room so I asked, " is the good sisters room ready?"

Aphrodite then said, " Yeah, I even found a reading light for her if she wants to read the you know."

" Ok sister we can take you to your room, it won't be that much, but like we always say, just make it your own."

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then said as she got up, " It was very nice talking to you, we'll have to do this again."

" I look forward to it, and I hope you're right about my step father, even though I think you maybe wrong, well I really don't think he's really religious, I think he's more into it for the power he thinks he can wheeled."

" He might be, and if he is then stay far away from him, a man like that will only bring you down, and Aphrodite it's called the Holy Bible, but if you feel uncomfortable with that. As your name is Greek, so is the title, you can call it the set apart of many books, or a set apart of many books, either will work, child why did you give yourself such a name?"

Aphrodite blinked at her and said, " It was my room mate, she was named after the Roman version so I picked the Greek version, I chose it so we would be set apart."

I was amazed at how there wasn't any hate in what she said as I said, " She was the red fledgling that was hurt that you worked on, she has special talents that we really need right now, so we kinda have to get her well, I mean Stevie Rae could do it if she wasn't having so many problems. Venus and Aphrodite have really stepped up to the plate, her helping do what Stevie Rae can't, and Aphrodite to help Stevie Rae with her child, I think she'll be a good aunt in the end."

The sister then said, " Well I think I'll just turn in, and you should do the same child."

" I will sister, and thanks again sister."

She smiled and then left with Aphrodite, then I returned to my room with my love Stark, he was already asleep, so I pulled up the covers and slid in next to him, he then whispered, " Nice to see you Z, hey did you tell Raphraim?"

I smiled and replied, " Yes sleepy head, now go back to sleep."

He gave me my favorite cocky smile and then did just that after a good long kiss, I hated that we couldn't do what I and I knew he wanted so much to do. But as I was tired I passed out almost as fast as he did.

Carla

Hello, my name is Carla Johnston, this is the story of how I became a vampire, and the forty red vampire, you see I was a sophomore in Capital Hill high school. I had just finished my finals and was looking forward to summer break, most of my teachers like me and basically told me that I had passed on to the next grade, yes I knew that meant I would be an eleventh grader. So I was lost in the fact that yes I had made it through another year, and only had two years left to go, but I was so happy that I told everyone that would listen. Was I a good student, well I tried hard, mostly I got C's, a b here and there, I wish I could get at least one A, yeah at least one just for once. I'm fifteen, my birthday was just in a month, June, I was hoping to be a June bride, you know so I could celebrate them both in the same month. And of course the first and most important part was to find a boyfriend, which I had few aspects in front of me, I changed myself to see if I could attract a few, you know with my Mom's help of course.

My mouse brown hair was now blonde, my eye's were an almost forest green, my Mom showed me how to wear make up, she always said a little went a long way, she even took me to one of those make over places, not that we could afford it. I wore four inch platform boots,I mean I was only five foot tall, and a girl my height needed all the help she could muster, I started the year with my hair just above my shoulder's, now it was just past them, I only got my hair cut twice, you know to remove split ends. And as usual my Mom said I would have to swat boys off with a fly swatter, well my fly swatter got no use what so ever, I had to think what was wrong with me, I mean I had no moles, no scares, you could say my skin was flawless. Well I did have the occasional break out, but what teen didn't, and I stopped eating my favorite, every girl knows this one, yes I'm talking about chocolate, well except my Coco Puffs in the morning, a girl just needs a little chocolate in her life. To control my intake my Mom would set me up with small portions, I mean I know I would be tempted if I took it out of the bag myself, oh and we could never afford the real stuff, she always bought the generic stuff.

Well up until the last day of my normal life, you see I saw him leaning against the locker next to mine, but this was the last day until summer, what did I care that there was a stranger in school, I mean I got so many invitation to go to White Water, I was going to enjoy my summer vacation this year, and Mom bought me a new bikini. Surely that would attract a boy to me, he was in blue jeans and a hoodie, the hood was up, and totally black tennis shoes, the only thing I thought was he was one of those Goth kids, if I would have looked closer I would have seen his mark. I opened my wall locker and was thinking of what I was going to do with all my paper work, I mean we turned our books in at the end of class, so I had no books to speak of, do I was opening my locker when he asked, " Are you Carla Johnston?"

I smiled at him and as my smile faded I replied, " Yes."

My mind was screaming, run you idiot, but I was frozen in place as he spoke some strange words, then in English he spoke, " Carla Johnston you have been mark in the name of the goddess."

Then he touched my forehead and a pain shot through my body, the next thing I knew was six boys were standing over me, finally Mr. Williams voice broke through with, " What's wrong, get out of my way, if you have some place to be get out of here, and I mean NOW!"

It seemed that the boys then ran away, it was like no one wanted to be caught by him, he then made sure the crowd had gone away then he leaned down to me. Then he asked, " Carla are you ok, here let me help ya . . ."

His voice trailed off, so I gave him a warm smile and asked, " What just happened to me, I mean that guy just touched my forehead, whoa then I saw stars?"

I was rubbing my forehead as he shook his head and said, " We need to take you to the nurses office and call your mother."

I knew he knew my family problem and would never call my Mom at work unless it was bad, so I had to ask, " Mr. Williams what's wrong, what's wrong with me?"

" Carla allow the nurse explain, she has pamphlets on this, she can explain better then I can."

He then pulled me along as if I was one of those bad kids you always seen being pulled to the office, I had to think of what I had done and all I could come up with as that I was laying on the floor before, I mean I knew what was wrong, but my mind wasn't registering the truth of it. As we entered the office he said, " Karen we need the nurse."

The principle came out and said, " She leaves at three, can I help?"

Mr. Williams then replied, " I don't know, she's been marked."

Now my mind started to work in panic mode as I screamed, " Nooo!"

I could see the secretary searching for my number in the school directory, my knee's had given out and I was being supported by Mr. Williams, he then dragged me into the nurses office. In my health class we learned about this, they told us that when a teenager experienced the change, there were only two choices, either we become a vampyre of we die. But as a teen we had to know that the only option was to make it to a House of Night a. s. a. p. So it was up to my Mom to get me to Tulsa. Great! Just great! She barely makes enough money as it was, she could never afford to take me to Tulsa. What the hell was I going to do, I guess die. I mean isn't that what happens to vampyres that don't make it. So I guess this is the end of Carla Johnston. Ah hell, I'm just fifteen, I so wanted to see my sixteenth birthday, and see if my new bikini could really attract boys, just go to White Water of have a good lay in the sun, well if this is the end of me, if was a shitty end.

I folded my arm's and shook my head and Mr. Albert asked(he's our principle), " What's wrong Carla?"

I gave a heavy sigh as I replied, " Nothing! Except we have no money, so I have to think this is a death sentence for me,"

Miss Blunt(the secretary) came in and said, " Your mother is on her way."

I was still shaking my head as I asked, " How long does it take for a kid to die of this, I mean that's my fate right?"

Mr. Albert then said, " Honey we'll try to figure this out, hey didn't I hear that Mr. Yantcey was going to Tulsa after class, maybe he can help us out."

Mr. Albert was a good principle, but how would he really solve this, oh yeah with our creepy tennis coach. I really don't think so. Mr. Williams then back in and asked, " How are you Carla?"

I really, really hated math, but Mr. Williams made it interesting, so I smiled at him and replied, " Fine I guess, except for my splitting headache."

" Mr. Albert can't we give her something for that?"

" Only two aspirin, but the nurse has to give it to her, and if I remember the vampyres say we can only give her a half dose, so our hands are tied."

He shook his head and asked, " Carla do you think you can handle a Coke?"

I gave him a big smile, he had to be in his mid-twenties, but he was really cute, I mean he had to much hair, and I'm not talking on his head, but his looks made up for that. And I had written down Mrs. Carla Williams several times. As if he would ever go for a young girl. Wait I've been marked, I guess I'm a young woman now, I then replied, " Yes please."

He smiled that dreamy smile back and was out of the office, moments later he was back and said, " Drink this slowly, and you can use the can for your forehead."

That was the first thing I did as I said, " Thank you Bob." He gave me a disapproving stare so I added, " I mean Mr. Williams."

" That's better, now remember drink it slowly and let the C. O. 2 do it's work."

Mr' Albert then said, " Bob we may have a problem, it seems that Carla's mother may not have the money to take her to Tulsa."

" What about Mr. Yantcey?"

" I'm only asking you just in case?"

" Well I guess I could take her, well if she can't take her."

" Ok, you're plan C, now can you go get Mr. Yantcey, and ask him to come to my office."

" Sure thing Kyle, I'll send him straight over."

I had to watch him leave, I mean the man had a cute butt, then I slowly turned as I asked, " What about all my stuff, I was just going to go through it when I got marked?"

He smiled at me as he replied, " Karen's taking care of that, Carla do you have a thing with Mr. Williams?"

Ok, my face must have turned fire engine red as I replied, " Yes, but who wouldn't, I mean he's kinda cute, but I shouldn't talk about him, I mean he is a teacher."

" Has he ever acted upon this?"

" Who Mr. Williams?"

" Yes Carla?"

" NO!" I calmed my voice and continued, " I mean I wish some times he would, but Mr. Williams would never do a thing like that, wait has he?"

" Not to my knowledge, I was just asking?"

" Hey, if Teresa said anything she's lying, she came onto him, then he sent her to the office."

He smiled at me as the office door burst open and I heard her scream, " Where is she, where is my baby?"

So I spoke to the familiar voice, " Mom I'm in here."

She then came in and her entire face was wet, her eye's went straight to my forehead as she cried, " Oh my poor baby."

So as my Mom cried, and I guess so did I, the facts came out, yes we didn't have the money so she could drive to Tulsa, my brother arrived with a single suit case, Mr. Williams told us that Mr. Yantcey was already gone and he would have to drive me. The drive to Tulsa I started to cry then I would stop, then I would start up again, then stop again, half way he bought me a Coke, well really it was a Pepsi, and it was one of those big bottles. My stomach hurt as we approached the gate to the House of Night, by this time it was about five thirty, we had to sit at the gate for a few minutes as a voice came over the intercom, " Yes may I help you."

Mr. Williams spoke, " Yeah I'm from the Oklahoma school system, my school is in Oklahoma City, I've brought a child that has just been marked, I was-"

He was cut off by the voice, " Come in, I'll be with you in just a minute."

Then the gate swung open and we pulled up to what looked like a castle, I mean it had to be straight out of Dracula. Then a carrot topped woman came out, and Mr. Williams went and got my one bag that my brother had packed, I had to wonder if he even packed it right. The woman had a plastic smile, she directed us to an office and said as we took our seats, " Neferet will be with you shortly."

So we sat for awhile as we waited for this Neferet, then the most beautiful woman I had ever seen floated into the office, again all I'll say is Dracula. Mr. Williams told her of my plight, and as he spoke I don't know how, but I could feel something was wrong with her. Then he had to leave, on the trip I found out he was married and was in trouble with her, so he really had to get home. After he left her smile stayed on her face for a while, then it faded and she asked, " So you have no one?"

I gave her a smile as I replied, " I got my Mom, sisters and brother."

" Will they visit?"

" Probably not, I mean we're basically poor, and my older sister is barely making ends meet."

" Good, good I can use you."

" Well I want to be a help, but I might have to buy underwear. My brother wouldn't know how to back-"

She cut me off with, " Don't worry about that, dearest would you kill her?"

" What?"

" Nothing dear, I was speaking to my darkness."

Then her eye's seemed to change right in front of me, then I could feel something all around me, I felt a pressure at my throat and as I looked down I saw the river of blood leaving my neck.


	5. Chapter 5

Stevie Rae's child

A new life and a burden

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

Chapter 5

Sylvia

I woke up at my normal time, it was five in the morning and I was a little late, I never had to worry about waking on time so I never set my clock, I had a lot to get done before I started my day, so I dressed fast so I could get started, but I put on the jeans and T-shirt that my Zoeybird bought me. I told her that they weren't me, but I loved how comfortable they made me feel, and an old woman should never dress like an old woman, it makes you young at heart, I had to wonder what it would be like if just once she allowed Sam to take her out. He was so persistent, maybe she should just let him take her out just once, after all whom would it hurt, then she took out the ready made cinnamon rolls, and then got the pack of pecans and raisins she was known to add. Then went about placing them in her favorite round pan, as she put them into the oven and pulled out all the pans so she could turn on the oven, she heard a light tap at the back door, she felt that the boy were a little early, but she had told them that she was cooking cinnamon rolls. So she said, " You can come in boys."

The door flew open and Running Wolf helped John Hadder in as he was wounded, I immediately went to them and asked, " What happened?"

Running Wolf spoke up with, " We weren't ready they took us by surprise, three were on Johnny before I even knew it, I got them off him before they could do to much damage, I have to go out and see if there are anymore call Sam and tell him what happened and tell him we may need back up."

Then he ran out the door, I immediately went to get my first aid case and as I did this I flipped open my phone and hit Sam's number, it took him a few rings before he answered, " Yes Sylvia?"

I said in a hurried voice, " The boys were attacked, Johnny was hurt, I'm taking care of him now, Running Wolf went out to see if there are anymore, he said he may need back up, Sam come quickly."

" Sylvia I'll be there as quickly as I can, I'll have to get a few of the boys."

" Do it as quickly as you can Sam, I'm worried about Running Wolf, shoot I should have told him to stay close."

" I have to go Sylvia, don't worry he can take care of himself, now I really should go."

" Ok Sam, bye." He hung up before I could say good bye, so I took the case and ran out to the kitchen, as I came out to the kitchen I saw the one thing I didn't want to see, one of those things were in my kitchen. I put my hand out and shouted, " U-tsa-ti-na U-li-si-gi a-do-av-do na-v-i tau-ni-ga-yv-li-yv-s-ta-nv!"

Then the thing seemed to shrivel up and die, I then ran to the door and slammed it, then I heard two loud bangs against the door, I went to the door and saw two more of those things, then a wolf appeared out of no where, and attacked the two. They were so set to get into the house they never even paid attention as the wolf ripped them apart, I put my hand to the window and said, " U-do wa-ya wa-do he-ga do-hi."

It seemed that the wolf smiled at me as if he understood me and went off, I then turned to Johnny and started to clean his wounds with care, I tried to keep my hand from shaking as I did this, and some how I knew exactly when to pull out the cinnamon rolls. And then I started a big pan of eggs as I heard a car squeal into my drive way and knew it was Sam, I ran to the door and threw it open and ran and hugged him as I realized it was him, he had six boys with him, and as they all jumped out. Sam started to bark orders, " Will find Running Wolf and make sure he's all right, the rest of you run the perimeter and make sure Sylvia is safe, I expect you back here in thirty minutes, now Sylvia hows my boy Johnny?"

I then replied, " I have all his wound attended to and he is in the kitchen Sam, please come in and have a cup of coffee."

He then put his arm around my shoulder's and for the first time in about an hour I felt safe, we walked into the kitchen and Johnny had gotten up and was tending my eggs, I smiled at him and went to the refrigerator and pulled out the rest of my dozen and a half eggs. I started to cook more as I had him make a pot of coffee, I actually made two pots, one in the electric coffee pot, and one in my old stove coffee pot, I also put four slices of bread in my four slice toaster, Sam kept an eye on these, and as they were done he went ahead and butter them. I also used some of the egg shells in my old coffee pot, the three of us were moving around the kitchen like we had done it forever, it felt good to me, and in time all the boys showed up, and as my wish I feed them all.

As we sat I was beside myself with the knowledge of the poor wolf, so I finally said to Sam, " Sam you have to go out and find that poor wolf, I mean he helped me, and I sent my thanks to him, but he deserves more of my thanks, maybe I could give him the extra eggs that are left."

He grinned at me and asked, " Running Wolf did you see a wolf out there?"

Then Running Wolf gave him a look, and Sam nodded his head and he then did the same and said, " No Sam, the only wolf I saw was my spirit warrior, and I think he's pretty much full right now." Then he added, " Wa-do ne-hi a-do-nv-do 'ge-na."

I knew he had just thanked me in Cherokee, but I knew I was confused, and Sam must have saw this also, because he said, " For such a wise woman you really don't know all the legends do you?"

I then replied, " Ok, I know that a spirit warrior embodies his or her spirit, and that the spirit becomes one with him, are you trying to tell me that that wolf I saw was Running Wolf, but that's all old legend."

" Yes, and if it had been Johnny, you would have seen a very large fox, but would you better believe it if you saw Stacy's Puma, or Paul's buffalo."

" You have to be kidding, do you mean they become the form that is their spirit warrior."

" That is exactly what I'm telling you."

" And what warrior do you become Sam, I mean you are the chief of such gifted warriors."

" Little Sylvia, I no longer take my form, but if we're threaten by a great threat believe that I would to save the tribe, now it is only my experience that I give to my warriors."

Johnny then said, " Sam's is a powerful spirit, you should have heard about it-"

Sam cut him off with, " Johnny she doesn't need to hear about what an old man used to be able to do."

I then said with a smile, " Sam you're not that old, and I can tell you that from and old woman, you are as young as you feel, my Zoeybird has taught me that."

" And so have my children, they do keep you on your toe's don't they?"

" Zoeybird is a High Priestess, and you're right, she does keep me on my toe's, but it is good to be near her."

" Will you tell her what happened here tonight?"

" I really don't want to, but her seer will tell her soon enough, so I guess I better get this over with."

He then kissed me on the cheek and said, " It is good that you talk to her, I'll get all my boys home then I'll come back to make sure you're ok."

" Sam could you stop at the store and buy me some bread and eggs, I'll pay you when you get back."

" Don't bother Sylvia, I mean it's my boys eating you out of house and home, let me buy you some groceries."

I opened my phone and said as I hit Zoey's number, " Sam let an old woman have her independence on this one thing, now go so I can talk to Zoeybird."

He nodded his head as Zoey came on and said, " Grandma is something wrong?"

Carla

As I opened my eye's again I saw her standing there, yet I saw more, it looked like smoke at one time, then seemed to turn to snakes, and then to a spider web. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen, then I noticed she was talking to us, I say us because I could feel one on either side of me. Then she pointed and we moved, I don't mean we ran or something, at one time I was looking at a set of book shelves and the next I was looking at beautiful purple flowers. And immediately we started to run, I didn't know why we were running, and it seemed that I was faster then the other two. I made it to the cracked door before the other two, I then flung it open and as I entered I saw the old woman, we were after her, we were suppose to kill her, but I didn't want to kill her. She threw her hand out and screamed something, then I felt it, it was a great pain, then there was a bright light, it seemed to hit me.

I was then standing next to a very beautiful lady, she smiled at me and said, " Welcome Carla."

I couldn't help myself I smiled back at her, she seemed as welcoming as my Mom always had, and the warmth and calm that came from her, it seemed to fill me, I understood that she was my goddess without even knowing it. Then I looked around and saw the very large clump of trees, I knew my smile got bigger as I felt the comfort coming from there, so I asked, " Can I go there?"

She then crest my face and replied, " Soon child, but we must first wait upon your brother's."

I was about to tell her that I had only one brother, then a boy appeared next to me, the smile never leaving her face said, " Welcome Peter," then I felt something on my other side and she added, " And you to Joshua."

Now I can tell you these two boys weren't my brother, but the one call Peter was taller then me, but for a boy he was short, he had very tight cut blonde hair, and his face was covered by freckles. The tall one had very dark hair and it was long, his face was oval as the others was round like mine, his face was so smooth, I mean he didn't have one blemish on it. And another thing I can tell you is they were both hot looking, the one called Joshua then spoke, " Josh, and why did she do it Nyx, I mean I was in the middle of the change? I mean isn't she your High Priestess?"

She gave him a loving smile and replied, " You were starting a new life and wouldn't be missed, she knew you wouldn't be missed as my children are always alone in their new life."

The one called Peter then said, " Well yeah, but I only had a little cold, why did Neferet kill me, I would have gotten over it?"

She crested his face and replied, " Son you were in the middle of rejecting the change, your death was easiest to explain."

She answered him I suddenly realized what had happened to me, so I asked, " She killed them, does that mean she killed me?"

Her expression then changed to an almost hurt look as she replied, " Yours is the saddest of all, she did this because she felt you wouldn't even be missed by anyone at all."

Ok I was in a place of peace and love, but my sorrow took over as I cried out, " But I don't want to be dead."

She kissed me and whispered into my ear, " I know child she took you before your time." She then rose her voice and said, " She took you all before your time, even you Peter, she has gone to far this time, she has killed the new, the destined, and the innocent, she has truly turned away from me."

Then she turned and started to walk to the clump of trees, so I cried out, " Noooo! Pleeease! I want to live!"

" My hands are bound, I can do nothing, I fear for my incarnate daughter, she must survive, but Neferet keeps getting darker,"

Josh then asked, " Isn't there something you can do?"

She shook her head, so we followed her and of course I was crying, as soon as we got close to the trees it slowed to a whimper. She then turned and said with a sad smile, " Enjoy my grove, then when you're ready walk into your next life."

I cried, " B, but wa, what a, about, ma, Mommy, pa please, Nyx, ha, help me, I, I just can't la, leave, them, the, they may ca, come ta, ta the House of, of Na, Night."

Then I fell to my knee's and hit the ground so hard, she leaned down and kissed me as she said, " Child it has been ordained, your folks can't afford to come to you, so you will never be missed, she will only remember once it's to late, I'm sorry daughter."

" But ma, Momma no, pa, please na, no I, I have ta, ta go ta her. Ma, maybe, wa, earn her."

She spun quickly quickly and asked, " What did you just say."

" Ma, Momma, I, I, I-"

" I understood you child, and that might be something I can do," her goodness seemed to fade as she asked, " I've done it once, if I do it again what would the repercussions be, if I offer you a choice, but I just can't do that, yet if you ask for for a choice I could. You have to know that if you ask me for this choice I can not allow you to remember your former lives, do you except the offer that I ask you to ask me?"

Peter then asked as I thought, " A, what?"

" Will you except the possibility of a choice if you ask it, or would you rather just walk your path."

Josh then asked, " If we don't we will still live again right?"

" Of course, I have never taken away a life from one of my children."

" I guess so."

Peter then asked, " Let me understand, your asking us to ask you a question that you want us to ask, then you'll give us a choice?"

" Exactly."

" Ok I guess I'm game."

Then she turned to me, and as I was still crying all I could do was nodded, so she then asked, " You may go the route that you're going and just go into a new life that you can enter within a year or one hundred years, or you can be put in a life that is ending right now and take it over. But as this is unsure I can't promise that you will not just die in the next five minutes, or you could live a really long life. You'll remember anything of your former life, you may have residual memories, but that is all, like how to breath and talk, but you won't even be able to remember your own name, so you'll have to find your way back to what you need to do. Do you understand me?"

I didn't have to understand as I nodded my head and said, " I'll do it!"

Zoey

" What do you mean you were attacked twice," I said with some anger in my voice, but I wasn't directing to Grandma, it was more at Neferet, so I calmed myself down and continued, " Grandma I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at Neferet, I wish she would just leave you alone."

" Zoeybird I'm ok, I told you I'm protected," she stopped for a few seconds and added, " I just wanted to tell you be Aphrodite said something and made you all worried about me."

" She's said nothing," I knew this meant my Grandma was in no danger, so I added, " well at least that's good, I mean if she had said something, that would mean that you were in trouble, so these guys must really be good."

" Yes Zoeybird I think they are, the last attack was by six and two of them killed them all, only one got close to me and Running Wolf took care of it, but Zoeybird like you I can't tell you what they are. Just in case one of yours is to close to Neferet."

" I understand Grandma," I sighed and added, " One of the nuns has come over to help Stevie Rae, and I don't know if I should tell you this, but she has a body guard, and let me just ask you, did you know the Vatican has vampyres?"

" No I didn't, so they sent a vampyre to protect the nun?"

" No, he's here to check out what Neferet is doing, but since he was coming into a nest of vampyres they went ahead and sent him."

" The Vatican, as in the Pope and the catholic church?"

" Yeah, can you believe it, and he's big, like ten stories tall."

" Zoeybird he's not that big?"

" Well more like seven foot tall, he dwarf's Darius, and Grandma he's old, he looks thirty or so, which means he's like five hundred or something, and his scares, he looks like he's seen a lot of fights. There is one problem, you see the Sons of Erebus are sworn enemies of them, and before I knew I asked Sgiach to send warriors to help us, well I really asked for her help, anyways now she's sending us bodyguards."

" And these are Sons of Erebus?"

" Yeah, she didn't tell me how many she was sending but I told her everything, and she told me she was sending guards for all of us, well more like I will send a protector for each and everyone one of your council. Speaking of councils, we got word the High council is in turmoil, I have a feeling Neferet has something to do with that, I wish I could help, but we're just so busy here, and we really didn't get the word from them any how."

" Whom did it come from?"

" Sister Mary Angela, she said it came from her sources in the Vatican, and the nun really isn't one of her's, she came from the hospital, but Sister Mary Angela told me she trust her."

" Zoeybird, trust in what you hear, and don't add to that, now think about what you said and tell me it that is what she said."

Wow, my Grandma always seems to know when I made a mistake, so I thought and realized she didn't say she trusted her she said she respects her, so I said, " Oh Grandma your so right, she said she respects her, she never used the word trust."

" Now Zoeybird she may have said that so you could draw your own conclusions, so just do your best and watch her, she maybe able to be trusted, but the words Sister Mary Angela used were selective, so she may have a connection to something that Mary Angela doesn't trust."

" You mean like the People of Faith?"

" Did she say that?"

" Well no, but she, well she did say the her protector came from the Vatican, wait do you think she could be connected to the Vatican."

" Zoeybird you're letting your imagination go wild, now if there was a direct connection she would have told you, and you know you can trust the good sister, so just go off what she said."

" Which wasn't much."

She giggled as she said, " See Zoeybird you do know, now if you use your head like that you'll understand, now Sam is supposed to be coming back, and I sent him shopping so you know I'll have to go back after what he forgets."

I had to laugh at her as I said, " You and Sam are getting really tight aren't you?"

" Zoeybird that's my personal business, and you know better then that."

" Sorry Grandma."

" And yes we are getting tighter, but I'm not ready for a relationship just yet, so put that thought behind you."

" Oooo, you like him."

" And what if I am, is it really any of your business?"

" No Grandma, I'm just glad you found someone that's all, I'm sorry."

" Now I have to make some coffee before he gets back."

I sighed and asked, " Grandma?"

She replied also with a sigh, " Yes Zoeybird."

" Wear your pink dress with the flowers."

" ZOEY REDBIRD!"

" Again Grandma, it's none of my business."

" Bye Zoeybird."

" Bye Grandma, and I love you."

" I love you u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya."

I loved it when she called me that, it felt like home, I then laid next to Stark and he moved and whispered, " So how is Grandma?"

I didn't want to worry him, but I knew just worrying about not worrying him was enough to worry him so I whispered the truth, " She was attacked last night by those things, but she's all right, she has some kind of protection that she couldn't tell me about, and apparently only two of them destroyed six of those things."

He whispered back, " Whoa, they must be some bad ass things."

" Yeah I think so, but it still doesn't keep me from worrying about her."

" I know Z, I can feel how worried you are, but you know your Grandma is a smart cookie, she knows to run at the first sign of trouble."

Did she really know, I mean Stark hit it right on the head, she was one tough cookie, and she knows it, will she run if it gets to thick, I had to think as I laid next to my warrior. Then he started to massage my neck, yes even I knew I really needed it right now, so I relaxed in his touch, and moments later I was asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

What are dreams

Chapter 6

Stevie Rae

I was sitting next to a great lake, I couldn't see cross it, yet I knew it was a lake, the wind was crisp, and it seemed that I could see my wonderful show flakes every once in awhile. I loved the snow, but now I was dreading that it might fall, it was as if I was lost and worried that no one could find me, I was surrounded by all these trees that had white bark with an intermingling of pine trees. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, it was as if God had put his finger on this land himself, and in the distance I could see great ships, you know the type that you see going out to sea. Yet I still knew that this was nothing but a lake, and then there seemed to be a lost in me, it was as if I was missing something very important to me, I had to look down at my arm's and saw that they were empty. Why did this send such terror through my body, and why were my arm's covered with blood, it was a very familiar blood, like I had smelt it many a time before, it was sticky and almost fresh. I looked into the green water and saw my reflection there, my blonde hair was red with this blood, then I felt it and my whole body seemed to shutter in pain, it was the beautiful sun. I knew I had to move, but it was as if I wanted to die, so I sat there and allowed myself to burn up, and I felt the wonderful cleansing pain as my body went from existing to no more.

I shot upright in bed and was shaking with the fear of what I had just dream-pt, I didn't want to die, I mean I had a baby to live for, and it was that that was my life right now. Then I heard a squawk and knew that there was another person I was living for and he was perched on the very large perch that Aphrodite had bought him, in this form he had such a comforting sound when he was asleep. I had to carefully get up and saw that yes I was definitely bigger then yesterday, so I search through my drawers to find my biggest jeans, then I put them up to my waist, and yes what had happen had come true. My biggest jeans wouldn't fit me, and I had to break into the stuff Aphrodite had bought me, so I pulled out my jeans with the big elastic band on the front, I hated it but it was true. I slid into them and had to think they weren't that bad, then I removed my extra large T-shirt and searched for another, but I then knew I had to go to my comfortable draw, and I pulled out one of my fat T-shirts. I had to look like a house, Raphraim then made a squawk, so I felt for where the sun was, and yes it was really close to setting, so I pulled out his boxers and laid them across his perch. Then I sat on my bed and waited, he always said it didn't hurt, and I knew it was a sign to all the others, his squawking got louder, then he moved to the floor, and he started to grow, it only took moments, but he would be fully nude after he got done, and laying on the floor.

And as always it did happen fast, you can imagine what it looked like if you saw the howling, but much faster, the goddess was generous in that, he never suffered long, and it wasn't as if I hadn't saw it before. I think I felt empathy pains as he made it to full size, and he was tall, I then moved to him as he finished, in the early days I would move to soon, now I knew to wait for that tell tale sign of him letting out a deep breath. As he did I moved to his side and helped him up, he then would give me his heart touching smile and grunt, then I as I always did, reached for his boxers and he would put them on. As he did this day he asked, " You look bigger today?"

I made a frown and replied, " Yeah I look hideous don't I?"

He kissed me and replied, " You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and you'll be back to normal soon, what did Damien say, maybe a week now?"

" I look like a whale, man you shouldn't love this fat thing."

" Red One you will never be ugly to me, you saved my soul with your love, how can I do nothing more for you then love you, if I died tomorrow I will always love you in the afterlife."

Then my dream came back to me and I had to shutter, and he wrapped his arm's around me and whispered, " What is it my little Red One."

I then sighed and asked, " Just don't talk about dying, I had a bad dream and I think you were dead in it, I just don't want to hear that right now."

" Oh my lovely Stevie Rae, you know that could never happen, and if it did I still would always be with you, now let me see you."

I knew what he meant so I pulled up my T-shirt and pulled down my pants to reveal my tummy, he then stroked my tummy gently with his hand, and it made me want to have him right then and there. But he knew our time was about an hour before dawn so he quickly kissed me, and I wrapped my arm's around his neck and kissed him deeper, he then pulled back and said, " It has been three days would you like to drink from me my love."

I had to smile at him and say, " Yes, but lets wait until I really need you."

He smiled at me and said, " You know I'm taking the vitamins so my blood lose isn't as acute as it would be, so you know I'll always be ready."

" Raphraim I love you, and because you're nothing but a human we have to keep you strong, and now we have the nun, plus I'm feeling a lot better today."

I stretched out my arm, and for once I was right, I mean it still hurt, but not as much, it's felt like a giant charlie horse is all, then I move to his drawers and pulled out a T-shirt and jeans for him. He came over and wrapped himself around me and said, " You do to much for me, you know I'm not an invalid right, I can get my own clothes, how are you feet today, will you wear shoes?"

" I think so, but the normal tennis shoes."

" You mean the deck shoes, I will retrieve them for you, would you like to wear socks?"

" Yes get me those booties Aphrodite bought for me."

He then pulled out one pair of my three new pair of booties and asked, " Will you tell me of you dream, or is it something that has to wait for the others?"

" No," I sighed, " I think I can tell you, I mean I can't see how it can come true, I mean I don't know of any lakes that are so large that you can't see across, well let me think, ok I was in a beautiful forest with trees that had white bark on them. A few pine trees here and there, and I was covered in a familiar blood, I had no idea of who's it was, but it was really familiar to me, and the water looked blue until I looked directly into it, the it was an ugly green. Then . . ."

I trailed off, he was right there saying, " Was it that bad?"

" I think, I think I saw my death, I, a, I waited for the sun to come up, and, I, a, was glad when it burnt me up, I relished in the fact that it was destroying me."

" A, I'm, a sorry, a" Zoey's voice was just out in the hall, so I knew she heard everything that I just said, so I said, " Zoey you can come in, it was a bad dream and nothing more, and just where am I going to find a lake that you can't see across."

She then poked her head in as if she was trying to make sure that we were indeed decent, then she came to me and tied my shoes and asked, " And how is our little Momma given without bad dreams?"

I had to smile at her and replied, " Fine except that I'm beginning to look like a whale, and I don't seemed to hurt as bad today, maybe I can go up top side and walk around a little."

" Ok, we'll take you to the roof as soon as we've had breakfast, Stark went ahead to make sure we had places."

" We really need a bigger kitchen, I wish you would allow me to lengthen the kitchen."

" Stevie Rae we've been over this, you need to save strength for the birth, now get over it and listen to me, my Grandma was attacked last night, well more like the morning."

" Really, are we going to do something this time?"

She sighed and said, " No, my Grandma told me that just two of her protector destroyed six of those things, I think she's safe, and as long as Neferet is concentrating on her we maybe able to get some very needed equipment, Venus is under the weather so we may have to use you."

I looked at her and knew she would allow me to do this unless there was a direr need, so I said, " Well I guess I'm ready, hey lets go get breakfast, then we can go and get it."

" Not until I say it's ok," came from the door, and Sister Mary Mary-angelic poked her head in, and asked, " Are you ready for me to check you again Stevie Rae?" I then did as I did with Raphraim and she smiled and said, " This would be better if you laid down and your boyfriend can wait out side as I check the baby and mother out."

He then left the room as I laid down, she pulled my shirt up exposing my boobies, she then asked, " Why aren't you wearing a bra?"

I smiled as I replied, " They don't fit, it's like my boobies got ten times their size, and it's really a pain on them."

" Zoey you know they have special bra's for this, you could help out your friend, now take off your pants, and Zoey help hold her legs."

We both said at the same time, " What?"

She sighed and replied, " I have to check the birth canal, well more like how big you are down there, we have to make sure that you're careful enough to carry this baby."

Ok we all had sex-ed and we knew why they had to do certain things, but it was all just in practice right, except we were finding out this very day that the teachers were right on the money. I was a little embarrassed to have another woman poking around down there, but it was all in having a baby, so I allowed her to do what she came to do, after all she was a nurse right. Of course this wasn't the most sterile climate to be doing this, and she kept pouring a clear liquid an me, which I identified as alcohol, so she was done and she helped me get dressed properly as she said, and yes my bra was tight as hell. And as she did all this we heard first Stark, then Aphrodite, then Damien, and finally the Twins come to the door, so we had an indirect audience out side my door, as I was done she said, " Ok, because you've grown so much over night, I want to check you every hour on the hour, we have to get a rain on when this baby will come."

I then asked, " Does that mean I'll have to get naked every time?"

" No Honey, all we have to do is check your stomach, but I want three full exams this day, so lets say before both lunch and dinner, and yes it would help if you had on nothing but a sheet, then we'll do the same tomorrow and go from there."

" I guess so, except that means I won't be able to help you Z, get Kramisha, she's as good as me, well except at the earth stuff."

She smiled at me and replied, " Honey the baby is more important, we'll try, especially since the one thing we need more then anything else is blood."

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then said, " I maybe able to help you with that of you'll trust me."

" What? You can get us blood?"

" I do work at a hospital, I'll just call the blood bank and see if they have any old blood that they're throwing away, then you can take a team and pick it up."

" Well that's definitely better then what we were going to do."

" What were you going to steal it?"

" Sister we're only fledglings, we don't have the connections that a House of Night has, so we have to stoop to low things, yes it hurts that we are forced against the will of the goddess, but the red fledglings have to survive and they need a lot of blood."

" Oh, then I'll just tell him to give you all he can supply, and maybe I can set up a drop with a local blood bank for you."

" Like and old fashion milk truck, that would be nice."

" I'm sure it's not going to be that easy, it might be more clandestine then that, you might have to meet in a dark alley some place."

" Well anything will help, so if we're ready I think we can go eat."

I then said, " Well I could eat a horse."

Raphraim then said out in the hall, " I'll go get you one."

Then everyone laughed as I said, " Raphraim that's only a figure of speech, what it means is it's a two bowl day."

" You know my Muselic would be far better for you."

" Please, just please, you know that Lucky Charms are good for you."

Zoey then chimed in with, " Yeah but not as good as Coco Puffs."

Damien then came in with, " Don't worry sister we make them eat fruit as well."

She then smiled and asked, " I could do with some Trix, I used to love them as a child, and he is right you do need to eat some fruit, the Lucky Charms will be a dessert and nothing more, and take these with a glass of juice."

Then she handed me some pills and I asked, " What are they?"

" Prenatal vitamins, they'll help you get strong for the birth, and no excuses, I want to see you take them three times a day."

" Ok sister, jeesh you're a hard task master."

" CHILD! Don't use his name in vain."

" Sorry sister."

Then we all left for breakfast, and we had fun and laughed and talked out of turn, I have to say that I kinda liked the sister.

Carla

The grove that was in front of me then disappeared and I was hovering above an old woman, she was doubled over in pain, then her body seemed to go into convolutions, and she leaned back and started to writhe in pain. Come on she was wearing a mini skirt and had to be thirty or so, and with just a halter top on, what did she think she was like nineteen or something, oh and yes, man I didn't need to see that, she had to be trying to capture her youth. I mean it's just better to wear underwear wherever you are, I knew she had very dark hair, and it had been dyed white, I mean a kid just didn't need to see that. And laying in between two dumpsters like that, no one was going to see her, and she would die all alone, wait die all alone, no. She couldn't be for me, I mean she had to be thirty-four or something, and I was only fifteen, what did I know about being thirty-four, and why would she just die in this alley like this. My brother would call her a whore, hey this has to be wrong, I've never even had sex before, and just what did I know about having sex, absolutely nothing, but what if it was, I mean I am only fifteen, a girl shouldn't have to make a living like this.

Then her writhing stopped, and I saw this very thick gooey stuff come out of her, I mean it wasn't like blood, it was a darkness that seemed to come out of every part of her, then it seeped into the ground. At last her head turned and she leaked out something, I think if was vomit, and her whole body relaxed and went limp, I was drawn closer to her, then her head turn and her eye's snapped open. It scared the bejesus out of me, and I tried to scream as her empty eye's opened, and they seemed to pull me in, it was like Star Trek the motion picture, you know when the ship was out of control, yes I'm a Trekkie, and a nerd of sorts. Then I was looking up at the empty sky, my whole body felt like I had just been run over, and my stomach hurt, I sat up and straighten out my skirt, then I tried to stand up, I had on what had to be four inch heels. How do you stand on these darn things, I used one of the dumpsters to help me to my feet, and yes it was dirty, so I had to wipe my hand off, and the smell, oh. My. God. Then I thought well little Missy you have to get to work, but what was I supposed to do, I couldn't remember, so I whispered, " Well a . . ."

What was my name, hey do I have a purse, I found one and it was one of those ugly draw sting ones, come on does she have even a sense of fashion sense, well I opened it and immediately found an eviction notice. OH GREAT! JUST GREAT! I don't know who I am, and on top of that I lost my place to stay, I then searched for her wallet, and as I opened it I saw an out of date drives license, four credit cards and no money. There was a set of car keys, but with the luck I was having I was sure it had been repossessed, ok so we walk now, and just how far will I get in this get up, I then dusted myself off again. Then I decided to make the best of it and just leave the alley, boy was that a mistake, I had to find out where I was at, so I saw the guy except I was into seeing a street sigh when his hand touched my butt. With this he asked, " So you decided to except my offer?"

Well no man is allowed to touch me that way, so I turned around and cold cocked him one in the face, he then flew across the street and hit that building, I thought I had killed him so I ran over to him. As I got close I could see the blood coming from his mouth, and I couldn't stop myself and licked it off his chin, it exploded in side me, then I couldn't control myself and bit him on the neck and drank and drank until I heard his heart stop. To my horror I had just killed a man, but then his forehead seemed to change, one moment it had a red crescent on it, then it filled in, and a strange swirling pattern came around it, then his eye's opened up. He then gasped for breath and said, " Ouch that hurt."

He was alive, I couldn't believe my luck, I then kissed him all over the face and was holding him in my arm's, then I realized what I was doing and drew back, he then spoke again, " Great! You bit me and now I find out that I'm the boyfriend with a hooker."

I then got mad and said with a strong voice, " I'm not a whore, and I'm not your girlfriend, at least I don't think I am."

He got this cocky smile on his face and said, " Well if you are, I couldn't have done better, man your hot, is that your real hair, can I see?"

He reached for my skirt and I hit his hand and said, " Keep your hands off the goods, and I can't be your girlfriend, I mean you're old and such."

He then drew his hand back and said, " Jeesh, I was just kidding, and I'm only seventeen, like you have anything to say, what are you like thirty or forty?"

I then replied, " I'm only fifteen, well at least I think I was, hey wait let me look at my license again, well I'm not a Barbara, and there's no way I'm thirty-six, I know in my heart I'm only fifteen."

" Right, but that would be so cool, I mean a seventeen year old and a thirty-six year old, all the guys would be jealous that I got a experienced woman."

" I'm not thirty-six, I'm only fifteen, and your not seventeen, what are you like forty or older, that would just be gross." He then gave that cocky smile again so I added, " Gross, your teeth are all brown and such, no way could I go out with someone with bad teeth."

" Hey don't say anything, you have what looks like a gray one, and you smell like a trash can."

" Hey I fell in between two trash cans, but I do think you're right that I need a shower, but I found an eviction notice, so I'm pretty sure I can't just go and get one, a did you know you have the tattoos of a vampyre?"

" Well you do to, I kinda like your tattoo, it's like two faces, ones laughing and the other is really sad, I think it's crying."

" Well I think we can't just go out in public like this, I think we need to hide the fact that we are vampyres until we know better."

" Right and just how are we supposed to do that? Wear make up."

I sighed and said, " Exactly, if this lady has even half a mind she'll have make up in her purse."

And as I searched, he said, " I'm not wearing make up."

" Don't be such a guy, do you know where you are going?"

" Yes, I'm going, well hell, I did just before you bit me."

" Exactly, now be a big boy and wear this make up, I'll cover yours then you can cover mine up."

" I don't know how to put on make up."

I gave him a look and said, " Ok then, we'll just go out to the street light so everyone can watch us put on our make up, jeesh your such a guy."

He put his head down and said, " I see your point, I guess I'll give it my best try, but after we get out to the light you might have to recheck it."

" Well I can do that," then I saw a small light in the alley and said, " Come on we can use that small light, and then I'll tell you what your tattoo looks like."

We then moved to just under the light, then I said, " Ok, now just put a little on the tip of your finger and rub it in until it is completely covered, now do mine as I look at your tattoo."

He then put to much on his finger and I said, " Not so much, and let me see your tattoo."

Then he started to rub it in far to hard and I said, " Lighter, and your tattoo is a bunch of swirly lines, kinda like whips, it's really pretty."

He then said, " I think I got it all, and for a guy you say handsome not pretty."

" Well stand still, and stop being such a guy, now look down so I can cover it better."

" Jeesh you must be a fifteen year old," his eye's then went down and he added, " You know you got really pretty legs, and I just noticed that you seem to have a tan or you're dark skinned."

" So are you, maybe we're related some how, you know like brother and sister or something like that."

" Well then you must be right."

" About what?"

" Being boyfriend and girlfriend, I mean that would just be gross, hey what do you want me to call you, well since you know that your name isn't Barbara."

" I don't know, hey what is your name?"

" Well let me look." he reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet, then he shook his head and said, " That just ain't right."

" What ain't right?"

" This license, it says that I'm fifty-two, and oh my God, his parents must of hated him, who would name their child Amol."

I had to giggle and said, " Well hi Amol, nice to meet you."

" Barbara it's nice to meet you."

" Hey! Just pick a name will you, hey what do you think about Sally?"

" I guess it's ok, but really you'll have to change it, I mean you don't look like a Sally to me, what about The Rock."

" Right name yourself after the biggest baddest vampyre in the country, how many fights do you think you can survive."

" You're right, maybe Gene, yeah that sound un-intrusive."

" Wow, from one extreme to another, you know that kinda sounds gay right?"

" Well I'm not gay, but wait, that's it. I'll be known as The Extreme, yeah that's cool, what do you think?"

" Like your looking to get beat up, but I think we have to go."

" Ok, so where are we going?"

" I have no idea."

Ok so we moved out to the street light until we could figure this out, I did have to redo my make up, boys they don't know anything.


	7. Chapter 7

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

It's a brave world out there

Chapter 8

Zoey

I could believe how easy it seemed for Sister Mary Mary-angelic, we had made the decision that Erik would go in with me, Stark would stay behind the wheel of the car, and Kramisha would keep and eye out for those things. We used Brother Hoverious's little car, I mean it wasn't exactly inconspicuous, but it was fast, and it was figured that was what we might need, well if one of those things showed up. Of course I wanted to use my bug, I mean it really hasn't gotten a work out as of later, and it is fast, except as everyone pointed out it's out and can be unreliable, I tried to point out that it was always there for me. But no one believed it would be there if we needed it, so it was deemed that we would take the mini Cooper, I mean It wasn't much larger then my cute little bug, well at least this would be simple. And I have to say Darius is way over protective, I mean the whole time he voted down my even going, Hoverious thought it strange that we included him in our vote, and why he kept bringing up the fact that I was their only High Priestess. Well I finally had to put my foot down, I explained that I was in this as much as anyone else, and if I didn't share in the danger I might as well not even be there, of course he made sure that Erik did all the talking, well I couldn't go against that. I mean the man was an actor, well up until he got marked as a tracker, his mentor was supposed to meet with him, and where he is is beyond us, we fear he might have gone to the House of Night, Darius has reassured us that a tracker will always find his replacement.

Erik is beside himself with pleasure, because the longer he takes to get to him, the later he has to go and start to finding kids and give them their death sentence as it were, he hates that his mark has been changed. I keep telling him it's the will of the goddess, some times I think he does this just to be close to me, and I hope I'm wrong, I mean Venus has been through hell, and if he's using her again then I'm going to use all my elements on him. Now we're here at the back door waiting for the sister's contact to show his face, surely he's coming from the inside, but I have to wonder what's taking him so long, and this loading dock is really spooky. I'm sure no one can see us, but that's the problem, the sister told us not to cover up our marks, it's his way to identify us, but even in the dark I feel as if we stick out like a sore thumb, and why he asked for five hundred dollars I have no idea. I'm just glad Aphrodite had time to run to the ATM, if it wasn't for her money I'm sure we wouldn't be able to do this, man what is taking him so long, I eased up to Erik and whispered, " We give him ten more minutes then we have to leave."

" Z I think we were a little early, we might want to give him thirty minutes."

" Ok we'll compromise and give him twenty minutes."

He got even quieter and asked, " Do you feel that we're being watched?"

" Yeah, but I thought it was just me being paranoid, what do you think?"

" I doesn't feel like it's evil, so lets just keep our eye's open."

" I agree with that, do you think I should call my elements?"

" It wouldn't hurt."

Ok, so I centered myself and called upon all of my elements, I started to look around to see if my eye sight could pick up on anything, then I saw a shadow that looked to dark, I tried to see if I could make out a figure. Then the back door opened up and a man asked, " Erik Night?"

Erik then replied, " Yeah, David Greyknight?"

" You got the money?"

" She does, we were just getting ready to leave."

" Ok, but I have three presents for you, but only if you have the money."

" We'll make the exchange so we both can see our product."

He then went back inside and came out with three coolers, the white Styrofoam kind, he then undid one and said, " You can check after I get my money."

I then walked over and dug around my purse and pulled out the money, then Erik searched all the containers, then I caught movement in the shadow, I then froze and moved my head in the direction of the movement. I knew Stark could feel my emotions, so he knew something was wrong, as we moved with the three coolers I could see that there was anyone with the car, so I knew Stark and Kramisha were dealing with whatever was over there. Then as planned we moved to the back of the car, Kramisha was back in the front seat in a moment, I then asked in a whisper, " What was over there?"

She whispered back, " We don't know Stark could smell them though, he's making a quick sweep, he thinks he heard a car, he said he'll be back soon."

Erik then asked in a whisper, " Do you want me to check on him?"

I smiled at him and whispered my replied, " Yes, but stay close just in case."

" Will do Z, hey Kramisha get the car started just in case."

" Will do Erik."

Erik just got out of the car when Stark showed up and said, " Get into the car, we have police and a whole lot of them, we got to get the hell out of here, I think they were watching us."

Then he jumped into the driver seat and said, " Hold on, I think we may have to use a little Mario Andrei this time."

He then threw it into gear and took off, then we were cut off by a police car, he did a fast move and went around him, now I was really happy that we took such a small car. He then shot to Erik, " Call Darius we might need help."

Erik pulled out his phone as three police cars got on our tail, I then did something that was unseemly, I sent the element of fire and heated up the front tire of one of the police cars tires, yes and it blew. Erik smile at me and said, " They shouldn't mess with a High Priestess."

Stark then said, " Zoey don't do that to them again, they may think were shooting at them, and we really don't need the trouble that that will bring."

Ah hell, that's all I need, I hoped that they didn't see it as that, then Kramisha added to my anxiety when she said, " I think we have a cop in the air." Then she pointed up, and it made it worse because I couldn't see him, so I whispered, " Ah hell."

Erik then said, " Darius we're being followed by a lot of police, and we think theirs one in the air."

Erik had to pull the phone away from his ear as Darius was yelling, we could all hear him, " I told you it was wrong to take Zoey, I have to talk to the others. Erik get back on the phone."

Erik put it next to his ear and said, " I know Darius, you know you and I were the only two to vote against her, but what's done is done, how we have to figure this out."

He was silent for a few minutes then he said, " Ok, ok, but call me right back."

He then folded up the phone and said, " He's going to talk to the others, he said if we have to ditch the car, then continued on foot, and be sure we shroud ourselves in darkness."

I then added, " And?"

" And he's going to talk to the others, he wants to see if they can't set something up, he said we have four with elemental control, they should be able to do something."

" Erik call him back and tell him not to include Stevie Rae in that, that's all we need is for her to go into labor."

" Oh, yeah, yeah," he then flipped his phone open quickly and Darius was right on the phone, we could see Erik's head nodding up and down, he then said, " Ok, I don't know what she can do, I mean she's just a human."

He then nodded his head and then said, " Well that should scare the hell out of him, do we have any guests?"

As in, are any of those things hanging around. We all watched his head nodded up and down as he said, " Well maybe they'll give us the help we need, let me think, maybe have one of the fledglings ready with Stark's bow and quiver."

" Oh good you already have that ready, ok we're almost there, can you hear us?"

" Ok, but he's going to be flying so you might want to watch out, oh ok."

He then closed the phone and said, " Stark slow down just before you get to the parking lot, they're going to show a show of force, and Hoverious is going to be out front."

I then prompted, " And?"

" And then it's Sister Mary Mary-angelic's show, she says she has something up her sleeve."

" And our guests?"

" He says they are sitting at a distance for some reason, it's almost as if they are waiting on something."

" Ah hell."

Stark then asked, " What do you think they are waiting on Z?"

" Me of course."

All three then said, " Shit!"

Stark then slowed down so the police could catch up, he turned into the depot, and as soon as we got close to the group we were right, the things started to move to the car. Erik then said in a strong voice, " Stark get your bow, I'll move Zoey to the rear so we can meet them, then maybe the police can use their guns and help us out."

Stark replied, " Sounds like a plan, and that guy Hoverious has out a big ass sword, I don't think they're going to get to far."

And then I saw him cut three in half, he seemed to wade through them like they were nothing, Erik grabbed me as we screeched to a halt, in seconds we were behind everyone. Six police cars screeched to a halt and jumped out, in seconds they had out their guns and were firing at the things, and in mere seconds it was shear chaos, I bet Neferet never expected this kind of warm reception. And I saw Shawnee putting her powers to good use, so I added mine to hers, then I heard a loud creek and then a womp, I turned my head and saw three of those things trapped beneath a big clump of earth. I then turned back and saw Stevie Rae in a lawn chair, I then move to her side and told her, " Stevie Rae no! You have to take care of the child."

She smiled at me and said, " See Raphraim, now you know why I had to save you. And Z I just couldn't sit inside while you were in trouble."

Then we heard a really loud voice, " Come out with your hands up and we'll go easy on you."

I then said, " Ah hell, I have to go."

I then moved to the sisters side and she held my hand, we both walked out to the police cars, we stopped short of the leading car, one of the police officers then came forward and said, " Put your hands up or I'll shot."

Sister Mary Mary-angelic then said, " Then you'll be shooting a High Priestess and a sister of God, and what will your police chief say then?"

" What?"

" My name is Sister Mary Mary-angelic, and this is Zoey Redbird High Priestess to Nyx, we represent these children."

" I don't see any habit, and if she's a Priestess why does she just look like a kid."

I then used my spirit to strengthen my voice as I said, " And what is a High Priestess supposed to look like, and if you get Detective Marx he knows me."

With the strength of my voice he visibly paled, he then said, " Stand down, I think they're telling the truth, but why were you running from us then Ma'am?"

Did he just call me ma'am, whoa I'm not that old am I, then Hoverious came forward and said, " And if you did no less I would have to kill all of you."

It was then that I knew why he paled, and to put the cap on it I turned and saw Stark and Darius on either side of him, man that would scare the hell out of anyone, I mean Darius would scare the hell out of anyone, his presence was like times ten. And I was very happy he was on our side, I hate to say this but Stark really looked like nothing in compared to those two, of course he would kill you quicker, and that made me happy that all these great warriors were on our side, then my phone made it's sound that said I had a text message. So I allowed the good sister to speak with the police officers as I looked at my new text.

**Zoey; Have chosen the warriors, all are volunteers, we used our private jet, they will be there at dawn, Somaro is in charge of them, he is a good man, he is to report directly to you, so you have to meet them and no one else.**

**Sincerely: Sgiach**

I then said, " Ah hell, a Darius."

He then came over and I handed him my phone, he looked at it and said, " Well this time we know she doesn't have anything to attack us with, but I will go with you."

Stark then asked, " Go where?"

He then handed him his phone, and he said, " Ah hell."

Carla

As we stood there and I redid my make up I asked, " Hey aren't vampyre tattoo's supposed to be sapphire, why is yours red?"

The Extreme then replied, " Hey yours is red also, but you're right I saw one in a book and they were blue, I wonder what that means?"

" Maybe you have to be dead to turn into this kind of vampyre, I mean I know I drained you, so you have to be dead right? Hey do you need a drink?"

" Well yeah I could use a drink, man my throat is scratchy, but I know I can't just drink from you, but I don't know why I know that?"

" Maybe it's some kinda sixth sense or something?"

" You maybe right, you know this might be forward, but you kinda look pretty, I mean in a Mom sort of way."

" Don't speak sugar daddy, I mean I look thirty-six, and you must look fifty-two, so you would be my sugar daddy, of course I'm not going to have sex with you."

" So what do we do?"

I sighed and said, " We find someone so you can eat or drink or whatever you call it."

He giggled and said, " That sounds like a good idea Barbara."

" Hey! That's not my name Amol."

" Ok Sally, but I've never drank from anyone before, and it's like your the only one that has experience at that, hey can you imagine that your the one with experience, just like in real life."

" Ok Extreme, now no more of that, plus how do you know your body hasn't had a lot of experience, can I call you E?"

" I guess, and you're right, it is beginning to sound lame, well we both have to come up with better names then."

" But I don't think we'll get to far with me smelling like trash, maybe we should get a room first so I can take a shower, but I'll have to get some of my clothes, I mean I'm not walking around like this, what is that smell?"

" I don't know, it kinda smells like shit."

I then did something that I would never do in front of a boy, I pulled up my skirt to see if this lady that I had taken over her body to see if she went poopie, and just like a guy he immediately whistled and said, " First you propositioned me, then you give me a show, I think I'm going to like this arrangement."

I immediately put my skirt down, and I knew my face turned fire engine red, then I said, " A real man would have never looked."

" Your right, but you surprised me, I should have looked away."

" What's done is done, you know I bet if we can find my car we will find my clothes, we just have to find where these car keys go to."

He then looked past me as I drew out the keys, then he pointed and said, " Maybe that one."

I turned around and saw a big ugly brown car, then I asked, " How do you know it's that car?"

" I don't, I just know that that key matches that kinda model, well no make, yeah that's it, it's a ford product, and that's a ford key."

" Oh, well I guess we can try."

" If my memory serves me well it's that big key, it opens all the doors except the trunk, the small one is for that."

" Cool we can check out the door, and if it works then we can see if she has any clothes in there."

" Sounds like a plan, I'll just watch for cops."

" You know they prefer to be call police officers, but you're right, I would want to go to jail in this get up, I would be tagged as a whore for sure."

He then sighed and said, " They use the name hooker you know."

I smiled at him and said, " And I told you that I'm not a whore."

" You know it's the oldest profession, and I don't know why your so up and bad at them, you know they have to make a living to."

" Well that doesn't mean I want to be one, but if I was one I would be a high dollar one."

" I think I have enough cast," Then he pulled out a wade of mostly one hundred dollar bills, that was the most amount of money I had ever seen, he had to have thousands, well at least a couple of thousand, but we didn't have time for that. So we moved to the car and tried the key, it fit easily and when I turned the key I locked the door, I smiled at him and then unlocked the door, then I looked in the back seat and nothing, he then said, " Maybe in the trunk."

So we moved to the trunk and opened it, as we did I had to ask, " Hey why do they call it a trunk?"

" I don't know, but your human used it as a real trunk."

He was right, she had just thrown in her clothes this way and that, the first pair of panties I found I had to pick up with two fingers, then I said, " Ug. Didn't she have time to do laundry, well she must have been in a hurry when she backed, I mean any normal woman would have folded clothes to keep out wrinkles."

" What the hell is this?"

He then picked up a feeding bra, I grabbed it and threw it back in the trunk, then I looked down my halter top, then I said, " I don't think it's hers, I mean my boobies don't look like I had any kids."

" Ahhh, was that what that was, oh man I have to sterilize my hand now."

" Stop being such a guy, how do you think your mother fed you?"

" With a bottle."

" Well that might be, maybe we should find a hotel and then go through this, I mean you know with out prying eye's to see."

" Ok with me, maybe we should drive your car."

" Well I a, well I really can't remember how to drive a car, a maybe you could drive my car."

" I can do that, here give me your car keys."

I gave him my car keys, and there are reasonably two reasons why I couldn't drive my car, one is I had an invalid drivers license, and two and maybe the most important is, well I, a really never learned how. I mean I was signed up for drivers ED for the summer and it would have been my first time behind a wheel, and my Mom of course told me that I could drive her car as it was the only one we had. So my prospects of really learning to drive a car were grim, I mean my Mom loved me, but if we didn't have a car then she couldn't work and I understood this, I would have been very careful, but with all that fear I knew I would have gotten an ulcer. I had to sit on the passenger side very carefully, I mean how short could this skirt be, he then stuck the key in the key thingie, and turned it, it seemed that it wanted to turn over, but it just wouldn't. He then gave my dial thingie board thingie and said, " Oh, your out of gas."

" What?"

" That dial right there isn't suppose to be on E."

I leaned over and saw which dial he was talking about, and yes it was on E, I then pointed at the thingie and asked, " Are all those lights suppose to be on?"

" Yeah they always come on when you start a car, as soon as it turns over they will slowly turn off as it checks your system, hey wait."

He then dug in his pocket and then pulled out two sets of keys with a card, he then got a big smile and said, " I may have solved both of our problems, the only problem is I have two sets of car keys, I just don't know which to use, but the second thing here is a hotel card."

So I had to look at the hotel key that said Marriott on it, I then asked, " Well do you know where that is?"

" I haven't a clue, but it's a start, hey do you know how to get around in this city."

" Hell I don't even know what city we're in, wait my license said I came from Oklahoma City, what did yours say?"

" Dallas, but that figures, I mean why would I have a hotel key, and this set of key with a paper tag are probably for a rental car, and it says Hertz, that should make it easy to find."

" I don't understand, why would it make it easy to find?"

" Hertz always prints it's logo on the trunk, we find the Lexus with the Hertz logo on the rear and we find the car."

" Where would you park a car like that?"

" Well I'm a visitor so probably on a main street, so we go to that main street and try and find my car."

We then got out of the car and walked to the street, I had to stop and take off my shoes, he then asked, " Why did you do that?"

" My feet are killing me, I mean these are cute shoes, but these heels are killing me, maybe we can find some better shoes for me to wear when we get back."

" Were coming back why?"

" Silly, we have to get my clothes."

" Oh I guess that would be smart, hey maybe we should have locked your doors."

" I'm out of gas, where are they going to drive it."

" Good point, hey way down there, that looks like a Lexus."

" You mean that black car three blocks away, wait how are we seeing that far?"

" Maybe it's a vampyre thing."

I nodded to him as we walked over to the car, and it did have a Hertz logo on it's rear, he tried the key and it was right one, then we went to my car and just took all my clothes out and threw them in the trunk. I also found a pair of tennis shoes, they were light blue canvas shoes, and a whole lot more comfortable then those heels, then he turned it over with the first try, now came the biggest problem of all, where were we going.


	8. Chapter 8

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

Where did I leave those keys

Chapter 8

Carla

So we then went to a convenience store and got direction to the hotel, and we decided to go in through the basement entrance, both my ideas, well it was my idea of how to get in because I didn't want anyone to see me in this get up. I mean if I looked fifteen it would be cute, and since I looked thirty-six, well I'm a Mom's age, so it just wasn't right, and I would never go without underwear. maybe he was right and the body I inhabited was once a hooker or whore. But there was no way I was going to sell my body, besides she had a lot of cute clothes, we both took an arm full, and walked up the eight flights of stairs, my idea again, we ended up having to go up one more flight, but we decided to take the elevator, well he did. And we found his room, I was happy that we didn't see any one, then we went through the clothes and found some reasonable clothes for me to wear.

I mean I never wore a thong before, and the bra was less then more, we would definitely have to go shopping. But the skirt I found was mid thigh, and the shirt had those half short sleeves, and it seemed to fit together, plus she had some old Mary-Jane's, I heart me some Mary-Jane's, and they were black, they were really cool. Then I took the clothes in with me when I took a shower, I hung them up on a hanger hoping that the steam would get rid a few of the wrinkles, and putting on the thong was an experience, I knew I would be pulling out my underwear all night. But we had a job to do, or two, except neither of us had any idea of what our second job was, and job one was to get The Extreme fed, so I did my hair and make up with the little make up I could find of her's, it seemed that less was more to her, I wonder where I heard that before. I then came out of the bathroom and spread out my arm's and asked, " Well what do you think?"

He gave me the once over and twirled me around, then he finally replied, " You got to be the hottest woman on the planet, so I was looking at all these brochures, what do you think, maybe a restaurant?"

I then put my hand out and replied, " Yeah suck on someone just out side a restaurant, that would go over real well, I think we have to find a club with a dark parking lot."

He then did a grind and said, " Oh yes baby, I can show you some of my dance moves."

" Well if you dance like that then I'll pass, and I'm not your baby."

" Hey, well I guess your not, but it would be nice if you were, oh lets just go to the club so I can eat."

" Ok then, and eww, man your like far to old for me."

" I told you I'm seventeen."

" Yeah and I'm fifteen, and if we were in our old bodies then maybe, but dude your like fifty-two."

" And your thirty-six, I mean we both look old, even though you're definitely the prettier of the two of us."

Ok so I hurt his ego, I mean what was I supposed to do, I lied, " E your hot, but more like George Clooney hot, not Brad Pitt hot, so I think you could attract the older women, so just keep your mind on them ok."

" Ok, hey you think I'm hot."

" Yeah like my Dad."

" Ouch, that smart, ok I'll keep my eye's open for an older woman, I hope she isn't all wrinkly, I would hate to think I was sucking on a Grandma."

" Hey, and I think we should try from killing her, I mean we wouldn't want to get the police involved."

" Right no police, I get that, but just in case you might want to watch me when I feed."

" Hey and maybe they'll serve us dinner, or we could go to one of these restaurants afterward."

" Ok then what do we got?"

We then went through the brochures and selected seven just in case, and as we drove it was the third one that we stopped at, as we went in the man up front was checking I. D.'s, as I gave him mine, I thought please don't check the expiration date. Then he handed mine back and smiled at me and said, " Have a good time Barbara."

I smiled at him and replied, " Thank you."

We then went to a table, the place had a lot of people in it, and it had a live band, they were playing some old rock music, but it was jumping, and as we sat down a lady came to us and asked, " What will you have?"

Her eye's never left The Extreme, he then asked, " Well Sally what will you have?"

I smiled at him and replied, " A Bud, a light."

He then replied to her, " Two Bud lights, and a menu, the lady is hungry."

She then gave him a genuine smile and said, " Two Bud lights and a menu coming up, would you like an appetizer?"

" Yeah I guess, what do you have?"

She then told a lot of things, but I stopped when she said, ' Blooming onion.' So I said, " E that blooming onion sounds good."

He then smiled at her and said, " Ok, one blooming onion."

She then put her finger on his chin and said, " Yes Honey."

She was so hitting on him, and right in front of me, man was this waitress a stank whore, she then ran off and flipped her hair at him, well it made me as mad as hell, he then leaned in and asked, " What's wrong?"

I then replied, " She was so flirting with you."

" Your jealous."

" No, but she did it right in front of me, that's just rude, maybe you could drink her dry."

" Sally jealously looks so good on you, well I can't drink her anyways, I mean she's working and if we went out side she would definitely be missed."

" I'M NOT JEALOUS!" I then calmed my voice and said, " Yeah you're right anyways, we might want to pick a drunk girl as she is leaving, and watch to see if she leaves with anyone."

" Oh right, and how soon do you think I should move?"

I sighed, as I knew this would be harder then I had thought, not that I was jealous, but to keep normal and watch all the women as they left, would we look like peeping toms, and when I went out would I be able to stop him. Hell would he be able to stop himself, I could remember my first drink, and I could remember how I lost all control, I had killed The Extreme, only because of the, a what, yeah I think she was a goddess. What was her name, man I hated not being able to remember, well at least I remembered she was a goddess, and does that mean I'm more important then he is, well most goddess's like their women over their men. I then looked at his face as I pulled out my compact, then I looked at my reflection, and yes my tattoo was firmly covered, he then asked, " What are you doing?"

" Checking our tattoo's, I want to make sure we're not showing what we are."

" Oh I forgot, how is my tattoo?"

" Covered," then I shut up as she returned with our beers and blooming onion, it had three sauces, I took one and dipped it in the off yellow one, she then handed him his menu, and put mine on the table. Ok I was about to go off on this bitch, when he handed her a one hundred dollar bill and said, " Honey keep a tab on us."

Well I'll be, he was flirting back, and right in front of me, well this just wouldn't do, so I folded my arm's over my chest, she ran off and he looked into his menu, but I didn't move, he then looked up from his menu and asked, " What?"

I gave him a hard voice as I replied, " Why don't you just take her out in the parking lot and have sex with her."

" Baby it means nothing, I was just insuring good service, besides we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend right?"

" Call me baby again and I'll break your nose."

" Sally, don't be mad. I promise that I was just doing what I saw my Dad do, he says it's to insure prompt service."

" Just be careful, I don't want to be waiting out in the parking lot while you get it on with some bitch."

He giggled and said, " Such hard words, and I think I will not be having sex in the parking lot, I mean unless you do, I mean have sex in the parking lot."

" Well you're going to be waiting a long time on that, I mean I will only give it to a boy I really like, and i'm not liking you very much right now, maybe we should go."

" I wish we could, but you were right when you said I have to feed, I mean can you smell that?"

I then drew in a deep breath, and I did smell it, it was very coppery and sweet, I then asked, " Yeah what is that?"

" I think it's all this blood, and I'm having a hard time controlling it, I mean I want to jump up and just start feeding, so you might want to watch me really closely."

" Hey look, I think that really drunk girl is about to go out into the parking lot, no she just giving that guy, oh my is that right."

" She's just drunk, a guy would really take advantage of her right now, except he brushed her off, he must be with someone, oh yeah there she is, oh man can a girls hair take that."

" No. but she'll be out in the parking lot in a minute, she that really big guy, I think he's about ready to throw her out, go to the bathroom then make it out the door like your going to throw up."

" Good plan, I'll be right back, a the waitress is coming back order me a burger and fries."

" Ok."

He then left, and as she came up she asked, " Where is he going?"

I then replied with a big smile, " He has to use the bathroom, and honey if you flirt with my man again we'll have words out in the parking lot, now he wants a burger and fries, and I'll just have fries, and if you spit in my fries we'll really have words. And I won't be polite."

Then I did something I knew was wrong, I used my forefinger and wiped a little of my make up off, her eye's got big and I then whispered to her, " He's my bond mate, now do you understand the implication of that?"

Then I moved my compact and reapplied my make up, she nervously nodded her head and then was off, then I took a sip of my beer and went out to the parking lot. It wasn't hard to find them, they were the two that were moaning, he had his hand down her panties as he was drinking from her neck, I had to look away as I crept up close and whispered, " Remember do kill her."

He drew back and said, " Whoa that is such a rush."

Her blood was trailing down her neck so I quickly said, " Hey clean her up, a I think you have to lick her neck."

" Are you sure?"

" No and yes, I mean I don't know, but something inside me is saying yes."

He then licked her neck and the blood almost immediately stopped, he then did it again and it almost healed, it was just two small rings, I then said, " Do it one more time and I'll meet you inside."

" Right, see you soon."

I then turned and went back in, I had to wonder what I was feeling, was this guilt, I mean we were built to do this, yet it just seemed wrong for some reason, was there a way to feed without getting it from a donor. Or was The Extreme right and I was jealous, I sat down and had to think about this, he sat across from me and asked, " Is there something wrong?"

I had to admit to him that I maybe jealous, or would I lie, well a half truth felt like the right way to go, " It just didn't feel right, maybe there's a better way to feed, well maybe we can talk about it when we get back to our room."

" Ok Babe, I mean Sally, we can talk about it when we get back to our room, hey did you order me my cheese burger."

" You said burger so that's what I order."

" My mistake, hey this blooming onion is really good, I'm glad you ordered it."

I then did something that I never thought I would do, I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, he then did a eye brow wiggle and said, " See I knew I would grow on you, just shut up and drink your beer, oh and I guess you can call me Babe, but not Baby."

" All right Babe."

Then the waitress came back and nervously handed us our food, he looked at her and whispered to me, " What's with her?"

I smiled at him and said, " Oh nothing, I just told her you were my man, and I would fight her if she didn't stop flirting with you."

" Oh Babe I'm your man, I so wanted to hear you say that."

" Ok, but that still doesn't mean we are going to have sex."

" Hey I've waited for seventeen years, what's a little while longer."

We then laughed and drank, I mean alcohol not blood, it seemed that that one sitting did do the job, but we switched to mixed drinks, I mean beer tastes nasty, and the fries were huge, I had a good old time.

Darius

Well the Priestess was exact in her orders, so we filled up all the vehicles, and we determined that the hummer was the best vehicle to used to pick up the Sons of Erebus, Stark wanted to come, but we had to make sure he knew how close to dawn it would be. She made him promise that he would stay up for her, I think she did this more for him then for her, Erik and Hoverious would watch the place of where we sleep, even though he is an enemy he is a great warrior, and I'm glad for his help. I told the priestess that all the Sons of Erebus would need was a bed, she and all the other girls went way over board in the old tunnels, we also agreed to keep our new upper hand secret from Neferet, we do know that she has a way to find out information on us. It is disconcerting, but we will find out the traitor and deal with it, and it will never be able to take out wrath, we will prevail in the end, I know this because we have the goddess on our side. How does that old saying go, if the goddess is with us then whom can be against us, and as always I'm sitting here waiting on the High Priestess, I wonder if she know that the Sons of Erebus don't tolerate tardiness very well. It was nice of the T. P. D. to offer us an escort, but of course the Priestess couldn't except it, she so wants to do everything on her own, and that detective was such a great help, and to find out he had a sister that was a vampyre.

Oh here she comes running like always, and why is Aphrodite coming with her, I mean there won't be enough room for the Sons of Erebus, oh but I love her so, and she finally let me into her bed, I wonder if any of the Sons of Erebus would think it strange that I was sleeping on the floor. And she is so unique as a lover, I've never had a woman do that to me before, she told me it was so she wouldn't get pregnant, but I think she wants to see how it goes with Stevie Rae first, and what does she know about being a nanny. She then threw open my door and said, " Hey handsome, can I give you one for the road."

I had to smile at her and replied, " I would love that my bride to be."

She then gave me a deep kiss, and of course I returned it, Zoey then said, " Barf, hey we're going to be late if you two go any farther."

She then drew back and said, " I asked her and she said yes."

I had to smile at Zoey and say, " I am very happy you agreed to the ceremony for us."

She then replied, " Yeah, I'm not sure about the nude part, I mean that is just. To. Much. Information. Like I want to see the two of you nude, hey that doesn't mean I have to be nude do I?"

" No Priestess, it is only to show my bride my willingness to bare all to her, and she felt it was only fair that she join in on the celebration also, she doesn't have to bare all."

" Well I'm still going to say barf, but I'll do it."

" Good, shall we go?"

" Yes, I think we have to, I mean we're cutting it close."

I smiled at Aphrodite and kissed her on the cheek and said, " I will see you in a few my beauty."

She then waved goodbye to us as I closed my door, then I put the hummer into gear and we were off, Zoey then said, " You know how strange it is that she has just a simple tattoo, I mean most vamps have such full tattoo's, I wonder if she isn't just a new kind of vampyre."

" She is unique amount vampyres, and her teeth, her teeth were perfect before, but they are very unusual indeed."

" And the way her eye's glow when she feeds, I don't think I've ever seen anyone's eye's glow blue before. Do you think see died after that heart attack?"

" I have no idea, but if she did, then we have to believe the goddess has something special in mind for her."

" You know if you're right she has to be a really special thing then, and with Neferet's attack, that means she went against the goddess's favor, do you think she'll ever pay the price for what she did to her."

I had to sigh as I said, " Yes, but only in the presence of the goddess, and that maybe a long time in coming, she seems to be able to avoid all her judgments, and I do believe you were put here to throttle her aggression."

She was then silent for a few minutes, then she asked, " What made you ask her?"

" I almost saw her die, I knew then that I would have to break down her resolve to marriage."

" I see."

She was quiet again, and it seemed interminable that she remained silent for so long, so I had to ask, " Priestess is there something wrong?"

" No I was just thinking, I mean I'm not even a full vampyre yet and I've done so much as a High Priestess, and Neferet seems to be such a bad ass, what am I supposed to do about her, I mean I'm just a kid. Well and-"

She trailed off so I prompt her with, " And what Priestess?"

" Well I just keep messing up, and I'm a little afraid that this whole Hoverious thing might come to bite me in my butt."

" He knew what he was getting into."

" Yeah, but the Sons of Erebus don't, I mean I wouldn't want a bunch of them to get hurt on my account."

" They can take care of themselves, and if you want we can tell them when we meet then?"

" Oh great, hey thank you for coming, oh and by the way we have a Vatican dark knight with us on our side."

" I see what you mean, but I still think it would go over better if you told them, maybe I could breach the subject to them."

She got silent again as we entered the airport, we then pulled around to the House of Night entrance and were let in just as the plane was taxing in. She then said, " Well I guess this is show time."


	9. Chapter 9

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

When time allows

Chapter 9

Zoey

Was this the real thing that we were waiting for, I mean these guys were big, well guys and one woman, and he was right there was barely enough room for all eight, I think they only fit because of the one woman, I then turned my head and asked, " So how long have you been with Sgiach?"

The one woman then replied, " Aros has been with the queen the longest, almost one hundred years, I Sylcilia, have been with her just sixty-four years, our youngest Gwant had been with her a mere twenty-four years-"

I cut her off and asked, " Twenty years, I thought the island has been closed to outsider's for over one hundred years?"

" Yes, but if you prove yourself a great warrior you will be invited to join the island, and only after the test will you be allowed a pass to enter the island, and now that our queen is seriously thinking of reopening the island, we expect new blood to enter the island."

" I'm sorry to have interrupted you Sylcilia, and I know of this because I was apart of that decision, now if you please continue, and I'm sorry again."

" Priestess we have considered what has happened and most of feel that you are not a mere High Priestess, only someone as powerful as Nyx could have moved our queen, but as all vampyres you have to row into your power. We are here to insure this happens, your protection is at the utmost to us, then your council, and lastly the outsider's, when Sgiach asked for volunteer's it was considered an honor to be pick."

" Ah hell, are you telling me everyone volunteered?"

" No, only about ninety percent, maybe less, but I think my count is close, I was never good at math, my abilities centered on the spear, Calius is centered on the lance and the horse, but he is also good with the knife as your bodyguard. Dartous and Arilireous are good with the fast blade, Aros and Thomas are good with heavy weapons, Gwant is very good with modern weapons, but he can swing a blade just as well, he trains us all in the modern use of weapons. My ability allows me not to use them, but I am learning how to use them with all my brothers, we are all here to serve you as well as we can."

" Well good, I guess, a-"

Darius then cut me off with, " When you say you have no use for modern weapons, do you mean that you allow your weapon to be released from your grip?"

" Yes Priestess's guardian, I always carry three and only keep my last weapon for defense, I am as learned at the point of defense, would you like to spar with me?"

" Yes, but I am sorry Priestess, go on with what you were going to say."

" Thank you Darius," I wasn't mad at him, it only gave me more time at how to figure this one out, how was I going to proceed with what I had to say, well I better pull the bandage off. I took a deep breath and then continued, " Ok, well a let me tell you something bad that we have done, you see Stevie Rae is pregnant, and Venus is hurt, so since we couldn't go to the High Priestess at the House of Night we had to get out side help. Well, a. How can I put this. We were forced to go to a group of nuns, and they would only let one come to use with their own protection, I'm no good at this, Darius can you help me?"

" There is one of the Pope's Dark knights where we live, he is there to protect the nun only, but he has been of great help to us as of yet, he said he would stay out of your way, well when the Priestess decided to reveal you, But he is known to be with us by the local police, so up until that time he has to be at the forefront of our defense, so we can not hide him as he is known."

Aros then asked, " Are we only to be kept until we are needed?"

I replied, " No, you will be used in our defense as you were told, it's just we have to hide you from Neferet, and as she was a High Priestess of our goddess, she has abandoned her, and now we have no idea of what she really is, all we know for sure is that she's doing unspeakable things to the fledglings. We have one on the inside, but we fear for her life, and in time we know that Neferet will kill her, we wish she would leave, except she feels it is more important to be on the inside."

Sylcilia then asked, " Have you blessed her mission then Priestess?"

" No, should I?"

" Yes, Priestess, she works for the greater good of the goddess, if you don't have knowledge of this, Aros can walk you through it, he was born in the old times and has much knowledge, though it would be better if someone has read the old rituals."

Both Darius and I said together, " Damien."

" Who is this Damien, and has she had a lot of experience in the old arts?"

" Well no," I replied and added, " But he knows so much, and if he wants he can find anything, I mean he hasn't been the same since Neferet has killed his lover, but he is good anyway you look at it, and he's always there for us."

" I'm sorry Priestess, with a name like Damien I thought he was a woman, and as he is well learned, I felt he had to be a High Priestess."

" High Priest, I believe because he's part of my council he would be deemed a High Priest."

" I stand corrected again, this High Priest has the council recognized him as such?"

" Well no, but they know he has the affinity of the air, and Nyx would only grant a power like that to a Priestess or Priest, so I think it is safe to call him that, at least I hope so."

" It is true that the High Council will take some time to recognize him as such, but we are mere warriors and we only see with our eye's, so if he has the power of the air then truly he is a High Priest, and we will call him such until the council takes it away from him. But our allegiance is hard to earn, and as you have earned Sgiach's, so you have earned ours, and even if they take this away from him, we will still recognize him as a friend of Sgiach."

" Well good, and what of Hoverious, will you fight him since he is your enemy, the nuns are my friend's, and he is the nuns protector."

Aros then spoke, " As sworn leader of the Sons of Erebus you have my word that we will only fight if he starts a fight with us, Sylcilia has been chosen as our spokes woman to the High Priestess."

I then sigh a sigh of relief and said, " Well that's at least good news."

Sylcilia then said, " Priestess as your protectors you do now that you always have the last say in what we do, and as we are sworn to Sgiach, by volunteering for this so are for sworn to you, so to us it's always your word until our death.

" Even if I don't want that responsibility?"

" Especially then, we then know our lives will not just be wasted, you will use us with ever so much caution."

I could see a familiar flash, so I turned my head to see the depot coming up, I then smiled at Darius and he said, " Priestess your can do this."

I knew I had a smile on my face and it felt hard and plastic as I said, " Yeah it I don't mess up again, and what if I do, how many are going to die?"

" All that are meant to, it is not your decision Priestess, it is the goddess's, so if it has to come it will come no matter if you mess up or not."

He pulled into the Hummers parking space in between the other two cars, and they looked like toys to this thing, and it was huge, I mean I almost needed a step ladder to get in, all the vamps then pulled out their sunglasses and put them on, yeah even me. I then went to the door to see if anyone was waiting for us, Aphrodite sat in the lawn chair and I smile at her and said, " Were back dear."

She snorted at me and said, " The only dear I want to see is Darius, and please, just please will you let me buy you a good set of sunglasses, those are so Men in Black."

" Hey, I like the Men in Black, Will was so hot in that film."

" Again nerd of herd, that has to be the lamest movie ever, like there are aliens all over the planet, please, just please."

" Well I could say the same about vampyres, but we know that's the truth, so I won't go there."

Then something funny happened, everyone walked in, I mean they all had dark gray and blue suits, but it was like a reenactment of the Men in Black, I mean even Darius in his black leather that he seemed to always wear. I mean it was really funny and I couldn't help myself to hum the song whet the Men in Black showed up, and I knew my face was breaking in a smile that edge on shear laughter. Aphrodite put her hand up and said, " Talk into the hand nerd of herd."

But even I could see the smile hidden by her frown, in fact the only one in black was her, I mean as always it was a really cute outfit with silver trim and buttons, she always dressed to the hilt. I have to say that if she became pregnant she would find the best designer clothes, she didn't do that with Stevie Rae, but the clothes she did get her were the cutest things, and Stevie Rae only didn't wear them because she didn't want to admit she was getting fat. But her fat was a good fat that had a purpose to it, I mean she was pregnant for goddess sake, and with her short bouncy hair she did look very cute, then as we got to the steps the boys allow the women to proceed them. Sylcilia went first, with me behind her, and Aphrodite behind me, as we entered the depot we saw both the twins on duty out side, and Erik on the roof, Sylcilia then asked me as Aphrodite went down the hall. " Who was that on the roof?"

I replied, " Oh that was Erik Night, he's really hot isn't he, he was going to be an actor, then he got marked as a tracker, he's still waiting for his mentor to show up, we fear he might of went to the House of Night first and worry for his safety, but Darius has said that he would know not to go there."

" Trackers have uncanny way to avoid danger, and they all seek to be rid of their jobs, so he was right to say that, but what of your contact, could she have told you if anything strange happened on the campus, surely they would know?"

" She would, Lenobia has a way about her, even Shekinah recognized her power, and as an equal in her own right, you should have seen the way they talked to each other, well before Neferet killed her, but it's my word again Neferet's, and I'm a mere fledgling."

" You hold more power then you think High Priestess, the High Council recognized you as a High Priestess and our own queen has called you a queen in your own right, so you have a power that is unwarranted before in the history of vampyres. You as Sgiach has said are unique and a true Priestess of the goddess, no other High Priestess could ever say that, so in a way even the High Council is jealous of your power."

I put my hand out and we started to walk down the hall as I said, " A power unwanted, I mean all I want is to be an ordinary seventeen year old, and shouldn't power like this be given to someone older, I mean like a real vampyre, I mean I haven't even changed yet. Why would the goddess even give this to just a kid, oh that right there is the kitchen, and why can't I just be normal."

" That is the kitchen through that door way?"

" Yeah, we had a good electrician but he's gone over to the dark side."

Aros then asked, " As in Star Wars Priestess?"

" You know Star wars, hey maybe you should talk to Erik Night, he's a Star Wars buff."

" Good to know Priestess."

Sylcilia then said, " Ask yourself if the goddess ever makes mistakes, then you know your answer to why you have been place in this untenable position, and it all comes down to one person."

I sighed and answered, " More like three, well I mean she did create one of my problems, and well she did bring him out of his trap, well I guess you're right, if it wasn't for Neferet none of this would have happened, so I guess it is all her fault for all this madness. Oh and what we just passed was the pantry, in there you'll find a ladder that goes up to our showers, this evening will be Stevie Rae's bath slash shower, so you can take one with us if you wish."

" A hot shower would be very nice, I would like that very much."

Then from down the hall came the familiar sound, " Z come on, I swear your as slow as a special needs kid, jeesh."

Aphrodite was standing there with her arm's folded and tapping her foot as usual, I had to say to her, " I'm not a special needs kid, and I was just talking to them, you know you could be nicer."

" Please stop sounding like Stevie Rae, it was bad enough when I was bonded to her, so just get your ass down here."

" She was bonded to a vampyre, but she is a vampyre herself, how could that have happened?"

" It's a very long story, and kinda funny, hey I can tell you about it as we take a shower tonight," we then entered the room and I saw our mistake, we had set up eight beds in a dorm sort of way. I had to give a weary smile as I said, " Sorry, Sgiach never told us there would be a woman, so we set it up for eight guys."

She smiled at me and said, " We as Sons and Daughters of Erebus have always done what we must for our goddess and for our High Priestess's, we will do what we must."

Aphrodite then said, " Yeah I thought of that, you see over there, I put an old Japanese divider just in case we had a woman, but you have to admit that the daughters are a rare few, and no Zoey I would not like you to recount that story to, a I didn't get your name?"

" Sylcilia, and this-"

I cut her off with, " You can tell her tomorrow everyone's name, right now I think all of you need your sleep."

" Very good Priestess."

" Yeah, and we can introduce everyone at breakfast, I mean we have a lot of sapphire fledglings and red fledglings to introduce you to, hey Aphrodite is Venus feeling any better?"

She then replied, " Yeah, the good sister made her drink two bags of go juice, I'm not sure that imprint is working to our benefit there."

" What?" Sylcilia then asked.

I had to laugh a nervous laugh as I replied, " A Venus was really bad, and well the nun let her feed off her, and well-"

Aphrodite then cut me off with, " Oh for shits sake Z, Venus drank off Venus and now they are imprinted, bonded, whatever." She then flipped her hair and continued, " I mean she isn't going to have sex with her, so it has to be a different kind of imprint, but yeah the two of them are imprinted, nuns are such a waist of the goddess's given gifts."

" Well I beg to disagree with you Aphrodite, my will is that of the same of Zoey's, except I choose not to partake of the pleasures of the flesh."

Yeah you guest it, the Sister Mary Mary-angelic had just come around the corner, she then said, " I came to see that our guest were comfortable."

Sylcilia then smiled and Aros then replied, " Our comfort isn't the concern of ours, it is only the protection of our Priestess, so we will live as we are called to."

" I have room in my room dear if you don't want to sleep with these men?"

Sylcilia then replied, " Thank you for your offer sister, but I think I can just use Aphrodite's divider to protect my honor."

She nodded then left the room, she and Aphrodite then put up the blind, and we then went to sleep, and yes Stark had waited up for me, I undressed and went right to sleep,of course after a good kiss from him.

Erin

It was our day on watch, they always gave us the roof, well we would make the best of it, I had T.J. go to the Home Depot and buy us some sand, then we spread it out on the roof to make us a false beach, and then we would stretch out towel and lay on them in our bikini's. And of course being vampyres we were forced to put on wraps and a lot of sun block with heavy sunglasses, yes it really defeated the purpose of sun bathing, but what were you going to do for eight hours. I think we did it for the boys even though they would never see us except when we went to and came from our duty, but even Zoey thought it was great what we did, but no one would allow her to be put on guard shift, they said she and Stevie Rae were to important to be put on guard shift. Well they also thought we were to important, but in the early days we were able to supersede that by pointing out that there wasn't enough of us, I know he's like really old and stuff, but why did Hoverious think he had to bring up the subject again. And that Aros was all for him coming with us, yeah that's all we need is our Daddy watching us, the vampyre is way over protective, I mean Zoey put him rich on my twin, man did she ripple under the pressure.

They say that over time you out grow certain things, I had to wonder if that was happening to Shawnee and me. I mean we're still twin like, and that first day she wore that to die for animal print , but I really don't care much for animal prints anymore. Her animal prints are more subdued, and that lime green one with black strips that looks like a a zebra, It's a to die for bikini, well I think that has to do more with the colors then the style. Well I don't really know what makes it so cool, and would I like one for me? Well no. I mean it would look terrible on me, and Shawnee's skin color is so perfect for that. It's terrible that vampyres can't tan, I would so love a California tan right now, then I could wear my purple bikini with the yellow flowers. But the white one that I have on right now went well with my skin tone, I really liked the small red flowers with green stems, they look so perfect. I could feel how wet my skin was from my sweat, and how it almost felt tight, so I said, " Twin I think we have to put on our robes."

Shawnee turned her head and smiled at me with her very dark shades and asked, " Do you think they've had enough twin?"

I had to chuckle as I looked over my matching pair of ray ban's and replied, " Well it's really not them is it now?"

" You're right twin, I guess we should cover up, but it's a crying shame to cover up perfection."

" Don't I know twin, don't I know."

I then stood up and put my finger to my butt and said, " Sssss."

She then laughed and said in a half giggle, " It's so hot out here, maybe we should cover up just to allow the temperature to go down by a few degrees."

I gave her a big smile as I said, " More like ten."

Then I handed her, her lime green robe, there was a loud noise as she slipped into her robe, she then said, " Man I would like to ride on one of those just once."

I slid into my lemon yellow robe as it registered that the noise I had heard was a motorcycle, so I asked, " What a motorcycle?"

" Yeah twin, it's not that I would like to learn how to ride one, I just want to see what it would feel like to ride on one."

" You're not missing much."

I had to take a deep breath as her reply was immediate, " What you rode one?"

Yeah I did, it was the worst mistake of my life, little Tommy Hackect had got one for his birthday, his first time out he laid it down. I was his passenger, I didn't think my skin would ever grow back, it was the next summer that I was marked. Most fledglings marked the summer that they got marked as their worst, not me, it was that summer, I had to shake my head to clear my thought's. And shudder my body to get rid of the feeling as I said, " Yeah I did, it was the worst summer of my life."

" Oh that's the summer with Tom Hackect?"

" I still wish it had never happened."

" What were you going to do, I mean he's the one that followed that dump truck so closely."

" But If I hadn't been so self aware of my scares I would have been there."

" Yeah, and you'd probably be dead."

" No twin, he loved me, he would have listen to me, then he would be alive right now."

" No . . ." her head twisted as she trailed off, it was as if she was listening to something, all I could hear was that loud motorcycle, her head snapped back to me as she said, " That motorcycle is getting closer."

I had to now listen as I heard the loud waup, waup of the motorcycle engine, she was right, it was getting closer, I then asked, " What are we supposed to do?"

Her response was immediate, " I'll go get Darius, you go and warn Damien."

I nodded my head as we ran to the stairs, most on guard on the roof got to stay down on the lower level, but Darius made it that we had to be in one of the higher towers. So I ran as fast as I could, I had to let my flip-flops fly so I didn't trip, and I knew why Shawnee had me getting Damien, I mean she was fast. I wasn't no slouch, but as I reached the level that Damien was on she had an entire flight of steps on me. The door to this floor was hard to open, as I got there I threw my entire weight into it, it gave a little, but my body gave more and I was my butt in a flash. Damien then wrenched the door open, and as he reached for me to help me up he asked, " What's wrong honey?"

I blurted out, " Motorcycle coming into parking lot."

He made sure that I was on my feet and dusted me off as he said, " Yeah I know, I heard it, what do you think we should do?"

I looked at the empty door and replied, " Well at least guard the door."

He then ram quickly back to the door, then he cracked the door and peeked out, he made a gasping noise and said, " Oh my."


	10. Chapter 10

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The new adventure

Chapter 10

Erin

I moved to his side as quickly as possible, but before I looked I had to ask, " Is it one of those thingies?"

I cracked the door as he replied, " Take a look for yourself honey."

So I did what he had told me to do, and through the crack I could see maybe a six foot tall guy, but he was massive, like in almost as wide as he was tall, well six foot isn't really that tall, and I have to say he wasn't fat. He had long dark blonde colored beard, I have to say that because it was fully braided, I mean who braids their hair anymore, but the size of this guy, well I'm not going to tell him of his fashion sense problem. He reached into a leather bag that was hanging off the side if his motorcycle, and that's when I saw his mid back length hair in a ponytail. To describe his hair would be to say that I was that bleached look, I mean it could have been brown as far as I could tell, but all that time on the beach has bleached it out, I was paying so much time on him, I had no idea of what he got out of the bag. All I saw was how big his muscles were, and when he turned this time I saw his tattoo's, his big goggles he ware seemed to be for the bike, and as he took them off and replaced them with really cool sunglasses, all his moves seemed to have one smooth action to them. His tattoo was a strange one, I mean you could see the goddesses crescent, but it was within the main tattoo of a dragon, this very long, very oriental looking dragon stretched around hid eye's to the point of almost wrapping them, his eye's I mean. The head of the dragon was on his left cheek, and it seemed to have golden eye's, and before you ask, yes it was all sapphire, only the eye's were different, I had to wonder if he had them colored in himself.

I had always imagined a biker in all leather, but he wore blue jeans, his jean jacket had it's sleeves cut off, and under that he had on a dark blue T-shirt that was having a hard time covering his muscles. He seemed to have biker tattoo's on his knuckles, but I couldn't tell what they said, the only thing that really spoke biker were the boots on his feet, and the silver helmet on the rear of the bike, you know the type, I think they come from WW II. He then moved toward me, I think I was so scared that I couldn't move, he stopped just ten feet from the door, then in a very strong rough voice he said, " I have come for Erik Night, Send him out so we may start."

Ok, his voice was such that it sent shivers down my spin, and he knew Erik Night, I had to think about this as I said, " Do you think Erik pissed that vampyre off?"

Damien then sighed and replied, " Highly unlikely, I mean he's not been in the vampyre world that long, and he's been with us basically, and I don't see a fledgling pissing off a vampyre."

Damien was right, and I had to chuckle as my next thought came to my mind and said it out loud, " Do you think that's his mentor?"

He had to chuckle to as he replied, " If he is, man they're such polar opposites."

" Well what should we do?"

" Let me talk to him." the voice came from behind us and scared the bejesus out of us, we recovered to see Darius had just come out of the tunnels, well what was I to do, I did the obvious and said, " Darius he's big, I mean he's really big, big like stop a freight train big."

Darius smiled at me as he said, " Your confidence in my abilities is heart warming."

I gave him a nervous smile as I moved and put my hand out and said, " Ok, but it's your funeral if he kills you, and if he does I'm going to give my best big girl scream and run to the tunnels."

He kinda gave me a grown as he opened the door and peeked out side, as we watched him another voice came from behind us with, " Who's funeral is it?"

I knew Aphrodite's voice so she didn't scare me as badly, and I replied, " Darius's, I mean you should see this guy."

Well that's all I had to say for her to be right next to him at the door, I had to smile as I saw miss perfect hair with nappy bed head, I mean Aphrodite always had perfect hair, I could then imagine her drooling all over Darius, of course he would never tell us, I mean she was little miss perfect in his eye's. Darius then asked, " And who stands at our door?"

The man then stood proud as he replied, " My true name I tell no one, but these days I go by Growl."

I could see Darius's back get straight as he asked, " Growl, we were lead to believe you were dead?"

" Yet here I stand, and I am impatient for my charge, send out this Erik Night, we haven't much time left, he must save his first child."

I knew what he meant by that Erik was his charge, but what the hell did he mean by they must save save their first child, poor Erik he so wanted to not do this, now he would have to walk into a life that would condemn kids just like us. Every day he would wake up and his ritual would get longer. I mean he tried to hide it from us, but we all knew he was praying that his mentor wouldn't show up. He would pray long after breakfast, we could all hear him mumbling to himself, it was Zoey whom confronted him, and Venus whom told us what he was doing, yeah we all know the Erik painfest. Darius then surprised me with, " Yes. I understand, but I fear allowing him to go. Not that he doesn't need to start, but we are under siege here and have only four vampyres here."

The guy whom called himself Growl then looked at Aphrodite to me then over my shoulder, so I turned my head to see Zoey coming out of the tunnels, she moved to beside Darius with a very smooth High Priestess walk. She mimicked Neferet's movements so well you might think she was her, but I could also see in Growl's face he didn't believe it, he then asked, " Whom is this made up to look the part of a High Priestess, yet still is a mere fledgling."

Darius then used a very strong, harsh voice, " Careful tracker, the vampyre High Council has recognized her as a High Priestess, and she has the bodyguard of a queen."

" Yet you don't have enough vampyres to release Erik Night?"

Then from behind us came, and by the way scared the bejesus out of us all, " Why do you seek me?"

Man, Erik was going to be an actor, he really needed to work on his timing, Darius then explained, " Erik, I believe this is your mentor, I have been trying to explain our lack of vampyres."

I thought it would be funny to see Erik's gorgeous face turn white, I have to say, not so much, but it was so cool to see how fast he recovered as he spoke in a smooth voice, " Yes, that would technically only leave two vampyres, we don't even know if red vampyres would even effect the normal fledglings, but we have two of them."

Darius then shook his head and asked, " Is it right to tell our secrets to a stranger, what if he is allied to Neferet, then where would we be Erik?"

Erik quickly put his head down and replied, " Well since the police know I thought I was safe in saying so."

Growl then pointed at Aphrodite and asked, " And whom is this very beautiful vampyre, I can feel how unique she is, but she seems to be a true vampyre."

Aphrodite almost glowed as she asked, " A true vampyre, Darius what's that?"

Darius then replied in an almost to harsh reply, " A true vampyre has no special abilities my prophetess, he is correct in saying that you are unique, but you are no true vampyre."

Growls eye brows went up as he asked, " And the Priestess's guard?"

" A temporary assignment by Sgiach herself."

Then it was as if he was trying to piss us off, I mean what he said next no man should ever say, " The bitch finally left her goddess forsaken island."

We were all taken a back by the brashness of his statement, Zoey was the first to speak, " Careful tracker, she is a friend of us all, and there are eight of her guards below."

Darius quickly said in a stern voice, " Zoey!"

Zoey as per usual snapped back, " Darius! What?"

Well then you can imagine the Mexican stand off we had, Darius and Aphrodite on one side, Zoey on the other. But it didn't last to long, you see Shawnee came up next to me and asked, " Twin what's up?"

Of course I replied, " Zoey just told that guy how many vampyres we have here."

Now her head turned with the realization of what she had just done, and she shook her head as she said in a low voice, " I'm a terrible High Priestess,"

Then we had a double cut off, first Darius started to cut her off with, " Well-" and I have to say I wish this would stop happening, a loud voice came from behind us with, " Growl you old dog."

Growl poked his head around as all head's turned to see Aros coming out of the tunnels, he then spoke to Aros more then to us, " This High Priestess must be worth a lot, Aros you old dog, so she had your price for service."

Aros was there in like two strides and they locked arm's in the traditional vampyre hand shake, then he said, " I haven't sold myself in over two hundred years, I'm in the service of, a well you know her by a different name."

He gave a deep heave laugh as he said, " So the bitch finally swayed you, how is the old hound?"

He smiled at us with a nervous smiled as he said, " Children you must know that Sgiach wasn't always the warrior queen, the four of us once captained a ship together, what was it Growl, three hundred years ago?"

" More like four or five."

" Well she was known by the name of Annie, we were the scourge of the west east Indies, well up until they found out that we were actually vampyres, as you know it's against the rules to do what we did, so the High Council shut us down."

" Well of course, we were having just to much fun."

I could see how Aros winced as he said this, I had to think that they had no love for the council of vampyres, I then asked, " But what of that Seoras?"

" Oh he was there, the old Gus wouldn't know fun if it bit him in the ass, when there was fighting to do he was always there though."

Aros had to laugh as he added, " Yes he was always the best of us when it came to a fight, but we were all forced to leave that life, and she never forgave you for leaving her."

" What was I to do, she had made her bed with Seoras, and he freely excepted it, you know me Aros, I've never been a hanger on."

" Well we did hear what happened to you, but what we couldn't figure out is why you kept it."

" In my life I've taken so much from them, I had made my mind up to give back to them, it is an honor to make sure that no human will die."

After what he had said only one word was spoke, and it was pretty much said by us all, well not exactly at the same time, " What?"

Growl then had to smile at all of us as he gave what could have been a general reply, " Yes. Well kiddies, what we have is genetic, the discovery of the new world was see as unseemly in the old, and the High Council went right along with this belief. So no one came to the America's, besides me I think there were only seven vampyres, and in their own way they were all outsiders like me."

" Wait," all eye's turned to Zoey as she asked, " do you mean seven vampyres for both north and south America?"

" Well that's what I mean, but you have to understand, the America's were discovered from the center out, so there were four in central and three in south America."

She then said not trying to hide her disbelief, " None in North America."

" Of course, the council saw the north as a pagan land and not needing the help of the council of vampyres at all."

" So all the vampyres or should I say fledglings just died?"

" Yes, but you have to understand that there weren't any vampyres in North America, and as new vampyres came over then they would rejected the change and die as you said, well basically as they do now.'

" Growl that's really terrible, it's as if they didn't even care about them."

He sighed as he said, " Some times it can be worse."

Aros then said in a low tone, " Jamestown."

" Aye Jamestown, those Indians never knew what hit them."

Zoey then gave a look of concern as she asked, " Jamestown, what happened in Jamestown?"

He had to take a heavier breath and shake his head as he replied, " Seven vampyres happened, the High Council had to take steps to remove the problem, they weren't here officially, I was officially the eighth vampyre in the America's, and as I was then marker a new I became sanctioned."

I could hear that he really didn't want to talk about it, but I had to ask, " Sanctioned, what does that mean?"

His looked changed, it was as if I had hit upon something that he was glad to talk about, then he smiled at me with such a nice smile, I could see him as an almost normal vampyre if he just wasn't so big. Then he replied to my question, " Well fledgling, to do anything in the vampyre world many things have to be taken into consideration. Like what your impact could or would cause to the local people or populace, during the dark times vampyres lacked this control, and in their own way they sought to control entire countries as feeding grounds. As you can imagine this caused great distress in these lands, we may have been their rulers, but as they could they would rebel, and in the end this almost brought around our extinction. We needed the High Council, of course they had been around for a long time, but by that time they were more of a figure head then a governing body, it took a lot of youth to change them and force them to come around."

Zoey then asked, " But they are all so old and wise now?"

" Yes little High Priestess, you see as then you have the norm, and this stagnation is what has to be fought against, you see you can be the most wise and still be caught up in the trap, in a sense it was this that almost undid the vampyres."

I quickly interjected, " What are you saying that we were almost destroyed?"

Aros nodded his head as he replied, " That is why we call it our dark time, some see it as our golden age, we ruled the human's, but they always rebelled, and in the end we would have just another dead vampyre, and since it takes such a long time to raise another vampyre, well we were dying out. In the end we had almost created our own genocide, you see nothing would stop the gene, you see meant no fledglings surviving the change, no fledglings would have meant a lot of good kids dying for no reason."

Growl then said in contemplative tone, " For the good of the kids."

" Yes old friend, for the good of the kids."

Zoey then asked, " If it's for the good of the kids, then why does the High Council treat us as outsiders, I mean they did confirm me as a High Priestess, but while I was there I can tell you there was no love lost?"

" To save face of course, what do you think the normals would think if they knew your mortality rate, say if they actually knew how many of you die."

What I was thinking was what Zoey blurted out, " What they don't know how many of us die, how could they hide something like that?"

Aros had to chuckle as he replied, " And what would we say, Hello we're here to save your children, but in seven months there's a ten percent chance they'll be dead, but yet even if they get past this they still have a twenty percent chance to still die, and even the change could trigger rejection. The world would surely step in trying to do the right thing, you would become lab experiments to doctors and scientists, and since it was our fault that no one knew about the bane of your existence they surely wouldn't allow any vampyres near you. Then the one thing that they are trying to avoid they will cause, in the end you would reject the change and just die."

Erik then asked a question, " Earlier you said, you wanted to save the kids, what did you really mean by that?"

Growl nodded his head as he replied, " Human's receive the gene no matter what, some may take to full adulthood to make the change, so we are sent to prevent this from happening, as you can see we can be a little early for some, and others we can be late. So it is the mark that we put on their skin that helps control the change, without it, they could make the change hours or days, even as long as years, we do this for the ones that only have hours, with what we can do we can save the lives of those so they can make it to a House of Night."

" But I didn't think you would change unless you were marked?"

" The mark isn't our to give, it is the goddesses to give, we just re-sight the words, our duty is to recognize those about to go into the change, then we pick them out and inform them of their change."

I snorted as I said, " Yeah right, my tracker just touched my head and then he was gone."

" But you knew of the mark correct?"

" Yeah we were all taught about it, that doesn't mean he couldn't have said, ' hey I'm sorry that I have to mess up your entire life, oh and by the way, get to the House of night or you'll die.'"

Zoey then said, " Yeah I was kinda marked the same way."

Growl then in a very growly voice, " Being a tracker is more then that, but I fear that our sigma has made most of my kind not do what's call upon them to do, our duty is to guide the new fledgling to the right path, and get them going in the direction of a House of Night. It is our honor to save their lives, yet most new trackers do their job half heartily, it's the same with all the young, they either self en-vase themselves, or they believe they know better then what is tradition."

I then had to ask a question of my own, " Hey, if we die if there isn't any vampyres around, then how did the first vampyres do it? I mean how did they survive?"

Aros then replied, " We have lost a lot through the times, we have had records that have survived Egypt and Rome, but a lot has been lost."

Growl then said. " Yes, and my people were no help in that."

Zoey then had to go there, I mean this was getting like a class room. " Your people, just whom were they?"

" Dane Law, they never did like writing much, vampyres had no protection against such brutality."

Damien whom hadn't utter a peep until right then, " Dane law, just how old are you?"

Growl had to laugh as he replied, " I'm not that old boy, but you are right to think that was very ancient times, I am just under six hundred years old, not old enough to remember that time, but old enough to remember all the stories. Well no vampyre Norse man had been added until I was, and to say I was the first of a race is unusual to say in front of such a one, it has only been one hundred years now that the first of your race was added to our ranks. I have to wonder if there were more before him, the native American's have many stories of the strange, and this is what makes me think that we may have been to late for a few, but some of these stories are to old to be vampyres. So in a way Zoey I know the plight of your people, as one of the few of your race so I am one of the few of my race."

Shawnee then added, " Yeah like my race."

" Girl your race was among the first, as you do not look like an Egyptian, but I can see the spirit in your skin, you could say that in a way your race was the root of our race, the origin of your race is over six thousand years old." Then he took a hard look at her and added, " And I have to say that this modern garb leaves nothing to the imagination, I used to enjoy thinking of how I could get off a dress instead of a woman walking around in her under things."

Shawnee then quickly pull her robe tightly around her waist as Erik asked, " Well how long have you been a tracker?"

He was very good at defusing a situation as Growl replied, " Over two hundred, no I'm getting closer to two hundred and fifty years now, no one knows the time or place where you'll be asked to do the goddesses will, but our purpose is true. We are sent to avoid many unexpected deaths."

Zoey then asked a question, I mean I had to think we really did need to get back to what ever we were doing, " Are we to believe him just at his word?"

I think she was trying to be the good High Priestess at the time, and Aros replied to her, " My Lady I know of him, and through the word it has told me that he had truly became a tracker, so as it were this is truly Growl."

Oh my God, why did Aphrodite have to ask the next question, " Hey Growl, how do you spell that?"

He smiled as he spelled his name, " G-r-u-l-d."

Oh man I could keep my big mouth shut, " Hey that spells Groold."

" It's Danish, it's pronounced Growl." Then he looked up and asked, " Am I to waist away in this God forsaken sun light?"

Zoey then replied with a guarded smile, " No, NO! Come on in, we'll find you a place to sleep."

I had to laugh at myself at the golden opportunity that I almost missed as I walked up to Aphrodite and asked, " Hey Aphrodite?"

She turned and gave me her usual evil sneer she had for me, and that even made it better as I said, " Two words."

Shawnee then interrupted me and stole my fire, stole my fire, heeshees, " Bed. Head."

Aphrodite made it even better when she said, " Brain sharer's."

Oh I just couldn't resist as I said, " Seriously Aphrodite,"

and Shawnee ended what I was going to say, " You've looked better."

Darius then said, " Don't worry my beauty, we are going right to bed." then he turned to us and asked, " don't you two have duty to pull?"

Well I had to admit that we weren't at our post, but I just couldn't let him get away with that, so I said, " Twin I'm getting a Fuji, do you want anything?"

I could see her lips move as I heard Aphrodite ask, " My hair doesn't look that bad does it?"

And real quickly Darius replied, " It has looked better my beauty."

Zoey laughed as she said, " Darius bad move."

And as Aphrodite ran down the hall, Shawnee yelled, " DID YOU HEAR ME?"

I Finally yelled back, " NO WHAT?"

" I WANT A SPRITE!"

I then my the finger sign for ok and as we looked around we both felt like fools as the hall had emptied that quickly, so we gave each other embarrassed smiles and she went up the ladder as I went to the kitchen.


	11. Chapter 11

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The winds go blowing down the plains

Chapter 11

Carla

Ok after that night we had fun, I mean we didn't have sex or anything, and his room had two beds, so it wasn't like we had to sleep together. The next day we had made plans to go shopping, but I liked to look out the window before I went any where, when I opened it it hurt so bad I knew we would have to wait until later. He had eight thousand dollars in his pocket, and like four major credit cards, he had a bank card, but we had no idea of what his pin number was, it sounds like we had it made. But you wouldn't believe how fast you can spend eight thousand dollars, I completely made her wardrobe over, in what I considered a thirty-six year old should wear. I did it over in like a week, I bought myself like three pant suits, all with pretty skirt accessories, one even had inlaid flower design, I mean it was the same color and stuff. One of all the good colors, navy blue, black, and heather gray, then I noticed something, all the women that looked close to my age did dress like I was, I kinda felt bad, I mean I should have found this out before I spent any of the Extreme's money. I had changed my name again, now I had him calling me Kyly, I thought it was a simple four letter name, and to me it invoked power, don't you think, well it wouldn't last long either.

We had live here for a week without incident, then he was told that his home office expect him back in a day, we cashed in the plane tickets that they sent us and decided to make a run to another town. I was all for us filling up my car and making the run for it, but he didn't think we had enough time, so we went ahead and just ran, of course we would get a road map within the first day we were in this city. On the back it had and interstate guide, so we could go to Wichita, Arkansas, or Tulsa, we decided that Texas was out of the question, so Dallas and Amarillo was out of the question. And we finally decided on Tulsa because it's basically in between the other two choices, and if we needed we could easily deviate two one or the other, so now we were on the road. We did everything within the law, as we didn't want to get pulled over for nothing, and since we couldn't go during the day, we decided to leave just when the sun set. So we left out at eight at night, we were on the road for just over an hour when it happened, it was the most scariest time of my life, you see as we drove red and blue lights started to flash in our rear view mirror.

I had just taken over for my half of the drive, so I pulled over slowly, and had to look at my speedometer as I got off the road, then I took up my purse to get out my license. Then it hit me, my license was out of date, oh I knew he was going to arrest me and throw away the key, I could see that the Extreme was tense as well, I had to lean out the window as the police officer came to my window. He then asked, " Ma'am can I see you insurance and driver's license please?"

I then asked, " Hey where is your insurance?"

He then even looked more nervous as he looked into the glove compartment, I mean neither of us even bothered to look to see if we even had insurance, he then pulled out the Hertz agreement, he then said, " It has to be in there somewhere, I mean Officer I rented this car, this young lady is only helping me with the driving."

He leaned in and asked, " Did you know this car has been reported stolen?"

" No officer, I assure you I rented this car from Hertz, or my car rented it for me, my business in Oklahoma City fell through, so I thought I would go to Tulsa to try and pick up another, she needed a ride so I said I would drive her if she would share the driving load."

" That's nice, Ma'am can I see your license."

" Oh God, do you have to, I mean I really want to be on our way."

" Well I . . ." he looked a little confused so I added, " Officer you can let us go and we'll promise to go to a Hertz place and get this all sorted out."

" Oh, I a, well, ok I guess this is good enough, now make sure you get all this straightened out when you get to Tulsa."

I couldn't believe what had just happened, so I gave him my sweetest smile and said, " Thank you officer, we'll be on our way then."

He got a stern look on his face as he said, " Ok then, you two just get out of here before I change my mind."

So I put the car in gear and slowly pulled out, I watched as the red and blue flashing lights disappeared, then I blew out a long sigh of relief, the Extreme then asked, " What just happened?"

I had to replied, " I haven't a clue, but what ever just happened I thank the gods, man I thought I was busted for sure, did I tell you my license was out of date."

" But all those clubs, how did you get in?"

I really had to think about that as we drove, the only thing I could think of, was that every time they checked my license they wouldn't check my expiration date on it, and they never did. Then I had to think of what just happened with the police officer, and I then realized that I had controlled their thought's, I had to laugh as we got to the sigh that read 25 miles until Tulsa. He looked at me and asked, " What's so funny?"

I then had to tell him what I had come up with, " You kinda hit the nail on the head, as I looked back I had to realize that I was controlling their thought's, I mean I thought of what I wanted, and then they did it the way I wanted it, and if I'm right I think it's really cool."

" Hey do you think I can do that?"

" Well go ahead and try it on me."

But after I thought it I had to think was that very smart, so I braced myself for driving nude, but nothing happened, and after a few minutes he said, " Well I guess I don't have it, I mean I tried something easy, and you didn't do it."

Then we drove until we found the airport, you see I figured they had a Hertz dealer, then we left the car out front, I mean we weren't super geniuses, I mean the smart thing to do was to find a hotel, then drop off the car. But on our drive I had to think of how many times I wanted him to buy me a really cute dress or scarf, and he didn't buy it for me, so as we walked away from our abandoned car I said, " I don't think that's it, I had to think about it, and if I could control your thought's, I would need at least one more suit case, so maybe it's just human thought's, hey have that guy over there pick his nose."

And with that he lifted up his hand and put his finger in his nose, I had to laugh as he had done it, I then kissed him, it was more to calm my emotions then a real kiss, but yes I had committed a sin. I mean we were friends and not lovers, and I'm not sure I wanted to go beyond that, I mean I really like the Extreme, well except for his name, I mean he was more like a Tom, John, or Pete. You know a good buddy, the name Extreme just wasn't a friends name, to me it was as if someone was going to hit you, or a pro-wrestler, he smiled at me and said, " Wow, I would like a little more of that."

I then said, " Well we'll see, except you have to do something about your name, I mean I don't want to be the girlfriend of a pro-wrestler, and I mean you look like you're fifty-two years old, how would you think if your Dad was named the Extreme, not that I want any kids."

" A why are we talking about kids, I mean can vampyres even have them, and I can say that I think we have to have sex before we can even think about that."

" Well that isn't happening any time soon, but as boyfriend and girlfriend we will get to like make out and stuff, but I hate bad breath so you'll have to keep on you breath mints."

We then started to move faster down the road, when we got close to a stop sign he said, " Hey Kyly, I'll race you to that stop sign."

Ok, so he wanted to race me, well I knew how to handle this, so I said, " Don't be such a guy," and as I took off I yelled, " GO!"

I was laughing as we made it to the sign in a blink, he had barely caught me, he then had a strange look on his face, so I asked, " What's wrong?"

" Do you see that traffic light down there?"

" You mean the one that's about a quarter mile away?"

" Yeah, I'm going to run to it, now you might need to move your head to keep up with me, but what I saw was strange and really cool, and since I had your mind control thing, I think you can do this."

I then nodded my head, then he moved fast, I mean really fast, I couldn't keep my head up with him, he then yelled, but I could hear him like he was next to me, " Now you try it, and watch how fast you catch up with me."

So I ran to him, and he was right, it was so fast I was scared I might run into something, but he caught me in his arm's to stop me, and again I was so happy he stopped me that I kissed him again. He was a gentleman and carrying my bags along with his, I then had to say just for Q. and A. " I was nervous, that was a nervous kiss."

" Oh, so you meant nothing by it?"

" Well yes, I meant that I was happy that you caught me."

He then did a deep bow and said, " Well then my Lady, think of me as your protector."

I smacked him in the shoulder and said, " That's for being such an ass."

He then made me laugh with, " Ooh my Lady, hit me again, I love the pain."

And I think as I laughed really hard, I knew that this boy and me were going to be really good friends, I mean I had to also wonder if I wonder if I would give him my virginity to him, then it came to me, I had to wonder if this body was even a virgin anymore. It was a strange state of affairs that put a fifteen and seventeen year old in older bodies, and would I ever be the same again, he put his arm around me and said, " Kyly you don't have to cry, I'm here, I promise, I'll try my best to protect you."

Was I crying, I guess I was, and as I was trapped in my thought's we walked down the road, we had no idea of where we were going, but we knew wherever we were going we could get there fast. As we walked we made the decision to take a bus somewhere else, oh you might want to know why we walked. Well you see in this town the airport closes after a certain time, so there weren't any taxi's around, so we couldn't easily catch one. I had to laugh at this, I'm sure that in a big city the airport would stay open, and I have to say that this city to me wasn't a small city, you almost need a car to get from point A to point B. So as I said we walked, and through our ability we were easily able to make it to the down town area, by the time we got there I had to be glad that I had worn tennis shoes. We sat in the Bus station until we decided to go to a motel, it was one of those cheap ones, we had cleared out all the money on his cards we could, but we also knew we had to make it last. Some might say why did you carry such a large sum of money on you, weren't you afraid of getting robbed, but for God's sake I mean we are vampyres after all. We got into our room and sat on the beds we had picked out for each other, no television, no radio, no talk, all we did was sit. And as we both felt the sun coming up, we made sure we would be disturbed, I went in and took my shower, then he did the same, and we went to bed, I had no idea of what we were doing. I think at this very point we were totally lost, I mean what were we going to do.

I woke up and felt like a new person, then I looked over and it all came back to me, you see I saw him just lying there as if he was a baby, and I had to think of how much I had no idea of what I was doing. I then went into the bathroom and put on a pretty sun dress, I mean you could see through it with out a slip on, but it made me feel good, and then I put on my new sandal's, they had three inch heels, but I was getting use to walking on them. Then I came out and he was just getting up, he smiled at me as he asked, " Do you feel better today?"

I gave him a half heart-ed smile as I replied, " No, but I'm going to force myself to fell better, what do you think we should do first?"

" Well I don't know, maybe we should get us a car."

" Yeah that would beat walking, but maybe we should eat first?"

" Ok, we find someone to eat, then we search for a good cheap car."

" I think we should go back to the bus station, I believe we can find vagrants there, and if we accidentally kill one, no one will miss him."

He got a stern look on his face and asked, " Kyly that only happened once, and if you didn't do it I wouldn't be here, so I have to think someone's divine hand is in on that, so you just stop it."

" I know you don't think it could happen again, but what if it does, then what are we going to do?"

" Kyly are you trying to get rid of me?"

" No, why would you think that?"

" Well, every so often it seems that you get into this mood, then you try to send me away, I mean I know you need me so I would never go, but the way you talk some times makes me think your trying to send me away."

What was I to do, I mean the boy saw more of me then anyone had ever seen before, we were very good friends, I leaned over and knocked his shoulder and whispered, " I'm not going any place."

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead, then he said, " Good, because I'm not going anyplace either, hey maybe if we look at the phone book we can figure out what we're going to do next."

We then searched through the desk for the phone book, it was easy to find, and we looked for anything that would tell us what we were going to do, plus clubs that we could frequent. And as we looked we came across the House of Night add, we were unsure of what to do, so we made it a point to see if we could visit later, I mean they had to know what it meant to be a vampyre.

Zoey

We had gone a week with out an attack, Stevie Rae looked as if she could pop at any time, I mean you should see her, she's as big as a house, and she's just about bit off everyone's head. It's surprising at how much Aphrodite has taken, I think she has retreated to her room until the birth, I mean Sister Mary Mary-angelic has really kept Stevie Rae in line, I think you have to think of her as a drill sergeant when it comes to Stevie Rae. And the twins have taken extra guard duty shifts, just so they don't have to be in the line of fire for Stevie Rae, the good sister said that when a girl has a baby they go through changes, and that's what is happening to Stevie Rae. I love her to death, but man she has really unloaded on me as well, I guess the only one that she hasn't unloaded on is Raphraim, and I think she would win a fight with Neferet right now. The next night after our guard had gotten here, I had to assign them to each of us, I assigned one to Stevie Rae, and one to the baby, well that was the first time she fired upon me, she thought I had done it because of how big she was. Raphraim calmed her down enough so I could explain it to her, after we finally talked she said she was sorry, but some of the things she said really hurt, it may take me a little while to get over the remarks, the sister told me to just get over it. I always laugh at her, I mean she's tough, but come on, she's talking to a bunch of vampyres and fledglings, the only two humans are her and Raphraim, and he's only that for half the time, I don't know what you'd call him during the day.

Right now I sat next to Stark, we had stopped sleeping in the buff, it was my way not to tempt him, his control problem is an issue, he said it only happened since he came back from the otherworld. I have a feeling this has something to do with what happened in the other world, I can't place my finger on it, but it has Kalona and Neferet all over it, so now all we do is sleep, eat, and make out together, heavy on the making out part, I mean a girl has her needs. But I have to say that when you've had it, you kinda miss it, and I so miss Stark, he's right that what has happened is a lost of control, and nothing else, but still I have to wonder, and the Kalona and Neferet thing, how could they make him do such things. He looked so cute and so much like a young boy right now, I had to lean down and give him a kiss, I could see his eye's pop open with a smile in them, he then deepened our kiss and started to rub the center of my back just above the bend to my butt. I loved it when he did that, except that we both knew what would happen next, so he abruptly stopped, but at least he didn't stop kissing me, and as we ended our kiss, as per-usual we were out of breath. I then leaned in and said in a raspy voice, " That was nice."

His breathless voice came back with, " Yeah I know, will we ever get used to that."

" I hope not."

" Me to, well I guess we should get up and get dressed."

" Can we may a little while?"

He smiled at me, and opened up our covers, I laid in his arm's and we kissed again, and as he traced my tattoo's I ran my hand down the front of his chest, we loved each other so much, I hated that this had come in between us, this, this control issue. We finally pulled apart and as we had to sit for awhile because neither of us had breath to speak, then I said in a low voice, " I wish I could have more of you."

He replied with his head in my chest, " I wish I could give you more, but we can't take the chance."

I then got slowly up and took off my night things, he didn't have to, I mean he preferred his underwear to sleep in, so there wasn't no night clothes to get out of. I then put on my new jeans that Shawnee had bought me, I mean I never put anything on until I wash it, and since we had just washed it, this wash my first chance to wear them. I also put on my T-shirt with the picture of the cat that looked like Nala, it was olive green, not the best color for me, but they didn't have it in any other color, I also decided to wear my light blue tennis shoes. I had to laugh as I asked, " Hair up or down?"

I laughed because I knew what he would say, you see he loved my long hair, so it was no surprise when he replied, " Down Baby, let everyone know who you are."

I looked into the mirror that Damien bought me, and decided to pull it back, but in the way that held my hair down, a part pony tail, I used my brush and put all my long hair into place. Aphrodite was right, I really need a hair cut, I mean I'm split end central here, but with everything that's going on I really haven't had the time, Stark came up behind me and started to stroke my hair, I loved it when he did this. I then pull my comb as I allowed him to do that, I then separated my hair, so I could put it into a pony tail, he knew to stroke my hair when I got done, I then smiled and looked into his eye's through the mirror. He gently pulled my hair back and kissed my neck, I had to hope that he never stopped being like this, my Stark and I loved him with all my heart, then I kissed his hand and said, " Come on, Sylcilia will be here in a few minutes." He then gave me a stern stare, and I knew what he was going to say so I answered before he could ask, " I picked her for my guard and that's that."

He put his hands up and said, " I wasn't going to say anything, but as long as you brought it up, I think it was smart of you assigning Aros or Thomas to Stevie Rae, but you should have kept one of them for yourself."

" Now Stark don't start, as I've said, I depend on them all, so I had to give the strongest to Damien, and the fastest to Aphrodite and Kramisha, and Calius to the child, then you have the twins, if I gave one of them one, you know I had to give the other the other one."

" Yeah, but both of them have the fire arm's experts, couldn't you have at least taken one of them?"

" Stark give Sylcilia a chance, I have a feeling about her, and I kinda like her, I mean I think it's cool to be the only girl among a sea of guy's."

We both heard Sylcilia clear her throat as she asked, " May I come in Priestess?"

" Yes Sylcilia, maybe you can help me with my argument about why your a better protector then the other seven warriors."

She moved the blanket and smiled at me, but before she could speak he put up his hands and said, " Hey I already give up, I know when I'm beat."

She then replied, " It takes a good warrior to see defeat before it happens, and the truly wise would avoid problems before they become so."

" Hey Sylcilia, you know I don't dislike you, I'm just speaking to the point that Thomas is so much stronger then all of you."

" Yes, and his strength can be used against him, he is a good warrior, if not a little brash, but as all warriors, we all have weaknesses, all you have to do is learn how to use them, just as yours is that your main weapon can be damaged. It is good you learned how to use the blade as well, it helps to have a back up, but young warrior remember, seldom does a warrior get the chance to pull his or her secondary weapon, if your enemy gets past this, then you have to be fast."

I knew what she meant, and she always did it in a kind way, but Stark knew that his bow was only so good, one of his greatest fears was his bow failing him. I could see the pain in his face, he was very good at hiding this from others, but he couldn't do this to me. So I tried to end the conversation with, " Sylcilia you can use my mirror."

She moved to my mirror and as she did her hair she said, " Warrior I do not say this to be mean, I do this so you will be ready, Zoey are you ready for your trip this day?"

I had almost forgot, I called my Grandma, and we said we would meet at the American Eagle, then we would have dinner together, of course I had to tell to tell her of my guard first, and Stark then took a pool so I could go. He raised just over twenty dollars for this outing, I don't know if that will be enough, but it just has to be, I miss her so much, and all we seem to do is text anymore. I had put my foot down to myself, and was going to stop this, one way or another we were going to meet, and just think about it, it was me that almost forgot, well I had to show my appreciation to her, so I gave her my biggest smile I could. I think she knew because she returned the favor in the mirror, then she threw me my little bottle of concealer, and I started to smudge it on, she then threw a bottle to Stark as she started to do the same. Of course I would have to help Stark with his tattoo's, he was so helpless when it came to make up. Most vampyres would never hide their tattoo's, but they were doing it for me, the one thing that I hated was that they're making us take the mini Cooper, I love my light blue bug. They said it was for my own safety, I think it was more for Aros's state of mind, he so worries about everything.

We then went to the parking lot, on the way Calius gave Sylcilia a small sword, if your a vampyre you know it as a dirk, and Stark told me that it isn't called a sword, that in truth it's called a long knife. Darius gave me one of his small daggers, he told me just throw it, even if it doesn't stick, it'll surprise them enough so I could get all my elements, Aros gave Stark his bow, and Hoverious put his quiver in the trunk. He also had a talk with Stark, I think he put something in the trunk for him, I have to say, that this leaving felt strange, I mean I was only going to my Grandma's, but everyone was treating it as if we were not going to see each other again. I had no idea of what was on everyone's mind, but I felt fear, it was a tangible feeling, I knew we couldn't be going to our deaths, and I really wish everyone would stop acting like that. We pulled out, and to be safe, Stark drove and Sylcilia rode on the passenger side, I sat behind him, and as we moved out I asked, " Did all of you feel that?"

Sylcilia then asked, " You mean the feeling of despair?"

Stark replied, " Yeah, do you think they think we're going to our own funeral?"

I then said, " Well I'm not planning on dying."

Sylcilia then said with a wary smile, " Neither do I, but we never pick the place of our death."

Ok, that kinda did us in, so we drove in complete silence the rest of the way, I mean we every once in a while would open our mouths, but then we would close it, a wise man once told me the only stupid question was the one not asked. Well we must have been really stupid, I mean I knew we all had questions, but none of us even asked one.


	12. Chapter 12

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The battle within battles begins

Chapter 12

Carla

So we made for the House of Night as our plan, we went to the bus depot to feed, we had found another red vampyre, he hissed at us and ran off, he was a little strange, his tattoo wasn't filled in like ours. We took a taxi to the house, but we felt something wrong, so we had the cabbie stop a little way from the house, he was so happy to do this, he explained that there was something weird going on there. We used the shadows to get close, then we thought we were being paranoid so we then walked up to the gate, but we could feel something strange in us. It was a terror, not fear, a pure terror. It was as if we had both been here before and had suffered something great, like a disaster or something. I reached for the call button, and my hand froze, it was as if I had done this before, and I just knew the end result was bad. I had to take my hand back and rub the cold from it, then I put my hand up and felt it, it was a tangible feeling, the only way I could describe this, was cold, pure cold, it made my skin crawl. Then came a voice from our side, " Can you feel the pure evil?"

We both turned our head to see a tall Indian boy standing there, he had to be at least six and a half feet tall, I had to give him a good look, he had a full red tattoo, and for one thing he didn't hiss at use. So I asked, " Pure evil, that's what I have to be feeling, Jim can you feel that?"

Oh, that's what the Extreme had changed his name to, he then replied, " Yeah, like a pure terror, I was half way thinking of running, but I would never do that to you Babe."

The Indian then said, " I've been here for four days, they sent me here from out west, I've seen some strange stuff, maybe we can go there and talk, I don't feel safe here, and you just missed the strangeness tonight."

I had to wonder what he meant so I asked, " What happened?"

The Indian then replied, " These three things came out, they moved by the other side of the road there, they were met by about fifty others of their type. None of them even spoke. It was as if they all knew what the other was thinking, then they just all ran off. You should have heard them, they growled and hissed, nothing good could come out of that, but we really have to get out of here. I fear that more of them are going to come out, or worse."

Well I could feel it, the power was getting deeper, and my insides just told me to run, so I nodded my head, Jim then said, " Yeah, I think we should run."

The Indian then nodded his head and said, " Just follow me as best as you can."

Then we ran for our lives, if we had stayed even a moment more we would have seen them, another darkness and the High Priestess came out. She was full of darkness herself, it, the darkness carried her. It was bad, maybe even worse then we had ever seen. He ran fast, we had no problem keeping up with him, but we both could tell he was definitely faster then the two of us. We then came upon an old house that had seen better days, as we entered he turned and spoke, " I've followed them, they've went to a small farm and old train station. They never get close enough to do anything. And at the small farm they keep getting chased off by things as well. They seem to be made up of pure fury, I mean they look like wolves, large cats, and stuff. But the way they treat these things tells me that they know that they are really 'bad.'"

He air quoted the 'bad' so I had to think he knew what he was talking about, so I had to ask, " Have you gotten close so you could tell if they were bad?"

" Yes and no, I was to scared to get to close, but I could feel a familiar feeling when I got close, it was as if I had been one of them before, like I knew what they were, but I had just returned to this body, and I have no idea of why that is."

" Like when I reached for the button on the gate, I mean I don't know why I felt such pure terror. But I knew I couldn't touch that button, as if I did my life as I knew it was over, does that sound strange?"

Jim then asked, " Yeah, I felt it to, what do you think we should do?"

" Well we know we were sent here for a reason. Maybe this is the reason. I mean we both knew it, so maybe this pure evil was why we were sent here?"

The Indian then said, " I know what you mean, I mean I was in Wakita, and I turned myself in for killing someone. But a police officer understood, he helped me get away, and told me to make my way here, I think I have to go back to face what I did, then I felt he had let me go for a reason, like he was forced to do it."

I had to grimace as I had known that I had technically killed Jim, I had put my head down and said, " Yeah I know, I killed Jim here, but then he turned into this, so we joined together to see where we ended up, I think I ruined his life."

Jim then said, " Hey Kyly, it was my choice, I mean I could have gone back to Dallas and resumed my life, but I chose to go with you."

The Indian then asked, " Hey can you remember who you are, I mean I told those police I didn't really remember my name. Then that one police officer asked me the most important question, ' You do know your a vampyre?' But I didn't, so he brought in a mirror, and I saw this strange tattoo."

He had a horse on each side of his tattoo, I had to wonder what that meant, I then asked him the most obvious question, " Hey, did you give yourself a name like the two of us did?"

" You didn't answer my question, but since you gave each other names, I guess the answer is no, and no, I haven't had a reason to use one."

Jim then said, " You should let Kyly do that, I mean I called myself the Extreme, but she made me change it, and we settled on Jim."

" What do you think Kyly, do you have a good name for me?"

I then sighed as I replied, " No, we have to talk for awhile, then it will come to me, but in the end it has to be your decision to except it, so in the end it'll be your decision."

" Ok, I guess for now you can call me the Indian."

" That's just not right."

Jim then said, " Hey we can just call him Chief, I mean just for now, until we come up with a name."

" What do you think, Chief?"

He sighed and replied, " It'll do for now, what do you think we should do about those things?"

We then sat down on what was there, I mean this house was old, but it had a lot of boxes around, Chief got me a box so I was the first to sit, Jim was second, and as he sat he asked, " That small farm, you said that they really had a fury about them, what did you mean?"

Chief then sat down and replied, " I don't really know what I mean, it was a feeling like what you get at the front gate, and to watch them tear apart those things, I pretty sure I'm right about them. And the magic there feels old, I don't even know if I should call it magic, but as I sat there it felt right, like an old friend to me."

I then asked, " Like you recognized it, you know like I feel when I'm close to you, not magic, I feel like our souls know each other, I mean in my mind I feel like I shouldn't have gone with you. But it was this recognition that made me follow you, like we were all old friends or something. Hey how old do you feel you are, I mean you look like seventeen?"

" I think I'm nineteen, and the guy I killed I think killed me, and it was my own anger that caused has death."

" Anger! Did you say anger?"

" Yeah why?"

" Well Jim's other-self had grabbed my butt, and it was pure anger that caused me to kill him. After I killed, I was so scared that I had killed him, then when he changed it made me so happy, that well."

Jim came back and said, " She kissed me all over the face, it made me think she was my girlfriend, but in the end we realized that we weren't, boyfriend and girlfriend I mean, yeah but that's changed now."

I had to smile at him and say, " Yeah, I learned to like him, I mean all we've done is kiss though, but we're becoming friendly, I'm still not sure about the boyfriend thing though, but hey I'm only fifteen."

The Chief had a surprised look on his face as he asked, " What?"

Jim replied, " Yeah man, we both realized that we were younger, I mean in our old life, I was seventeen, and Kyly realized she was only fifteen, and we know we look older. What's weird is that you and Kyly look like the same race, I mean her drivers license says she's thirty-six, and mine says I'm fifty-two, you know she could look like your Mom."

He then asked with a weird smile, " Now that would be weird, do you want to be my Mommy?"

Ok, I got a little angry, and spit out, " NO!"

" Hey! Hey! I was just funnin, man, don't blow a fuse."

" Funnin? Did you just say funnin?"

He laughed and replied, " Yeah, I seem to have all this weird dialect, I have no idea of where it comes from, maybe I recall some of my former life."

" Maybe that's why I seem to like these flower dresses, I mean I never liked them before, to me they're to girlie girl for me, I think I was more a tom boy or something, and I seem to keep adding or something like it's normal."

Jim then said, " Maybe we should go to that small farm, I mean maybe you have an in and don't even know it."

Chief then said, " I think you maybe right, what do you think Kyly?"

Well hell, I didn't know, but right then and there my gut told me yes, and I heard a small voice, _in the old we find ourselves, go to the queen and she will tell you the truth, _well how was I going to argue with that so I said, " I have a feeling that it is the right thong to do, I mean I feel it deep down."

Jim asked, " Like a High Priestess?"

" Yeah I think, though I don't think I'm a High Priestess."

Chief then said, " Well ok then, I guess it's off to see the wizard then."

" More like the old queen."

" What?"

" My stomach is telling me whomever it is, is an old queen."

Jim then said, " Well chief then lead the way."

And we were off, we figured that he had to lead the way, and along the way we came up with a better name for Chief, we decided that Chief Joseph was better, and he told us just to call him Joe.

Sylvia

We had a good time, Zoey was worried so I asked her, she said she couldn't put her finger on it, but she was really worried, I tried to talk her into coming back to the farm with me. But my Zoeybird wouldn't hear of it, as Stevie Rae was so close to giving birth, I had to worry about her though. Since this all started that's all I've ever done is worry about my Zoeybird. We couldn't prove that Neferet had anything to do with Linda's death, but I seemed to be able to feel it in my bones that she was at fault. But as my Zoeybird said the High Council would only react with tangible proof. In my time I knew darkness would never give you proof, but they had the proof that she disobeyed the council with Kalona, and yet they did nothing. I had to think that it was like hospitals, we a doctor did wrong, they always circled the wagons, and I had to think that is what the High council was doing, protecting one of their own. So what was an old lady to do, well I prayed all the time, and it was to whomever would listen, Christian or the goddess Nyx. And I had to hope that whatever was going on, someone would help my Zoeybird.

Running Wolf then came in, he then said, " Sylvia, we caught three vampyres coming here, they said they have to talk to the old queen, Sam and Mr. Wise Buffalo are coming, they said don't talk to them until they get here."

I then had to ask, " Did they try to fight you?"

" No, I mean their eye's all turned red, so I felt that they maybe bad, but the girl and one of the others said that they would fight."

" Girl? Does she have red tattoo's?"

" Yes Sylvia."

" Stevie Rae, let them in, they must have news, Zoey must be in trouble, Running Wolf go get them."

Zoey had told me that wine mixed with a little blood in it was really good for vampyres, so I bought a few empty bottles so I could mix my own special blend. She had also told me that it was best if it was refrigerated, like I wouldn't refrigerate an open bottle of wine, but I could also see how it would keep the blood fresh. So I retrieved a bottle and went to my small living room, Stevie Rae in those dirty tunnels, so I figured she wouldn't mind regular glasses, and I had to think quantity out weighed quality.

But as Running Wolf showed them in I realizes two things. First, even though these three were all red vampyres, they weren't any I had seen before. And second, as they were all full vampyres, I had never seen them in the company of Zoey. So I then said in a strong voice, " Running Wolf be on the ready, I have never seen these three vampyres before in my life."

The female spoke to me as she raised her hand to Running Wolf, " Please Ma'am, we mean you no harm, our goddess instructed us to seek out the old queen, it was Joe that realized that she might be you, but as he spoke your of you, we could all feel he was right."

I gave her a simple nod as I said, " You have five minutes to explain yourself."

" So you are whom we seek?"

" I'm no queen, you now have less then five minutes."

" Ok, ok Jim and I were sent here about two weeks ago, and Joe was sent, Joe I don't know how long it was for you?"

" Barely over a weak now."

" The goddess said, ' through the old seek the truth, and the old queen will tell you the truth,' as we all heard about this, Joe told us about you, we just knew it had to be you. I mean my gut told me you were the one, I don't know how to explain it better then that."

" Your gut?"

" Yeah, he told us how your warriors dispatched those things, and I felt it in my stomach. So we took a chance and came to you, we do not seek our own deaths, even though I think we were already dead."

" Yeah," Jim opened his mouth to add something else to what he said, but the I cut him off when I put up my hand and asked, " Tell me how you died?"

The girl then decided it best if I replied, " Well we really don't know how, we all feel we died though, but we really can't remember how."

I had to shake my head, and as I looked into their eye's I could tell that they were telling the truth. Then I could remember how Zoey had told me how she couldn't remember her death either, well it had more to do with after her death. I could see the truth in what they were saying, so I had to say, " Your goddess is mysterious, so what do you want to know, oh wine."

The woman then said something that was truly weird to me, " No Ma'am, I don't drink, I'm under age."

I had to take a second look at the woman in front of me, she had to be in her thirties, so I had to asked, " So you would have me believe you under age, do I look that naive to you?"

Now what she said was even stranger, " Yes Ma'am, I'm only fifteen, Jim here is only seventeen, even Joe is only nineteen."

I had to shake my head as I said, " Yet you look older, and you would have me believe that you're younger then what you are, so as I see you, yet you are not."

I may have been a little confused, but she gave me a genuine smile and answered, " I now I look thirty-six, and Jim looks like he's in his fifties, but I know that when I was killed I was only fifteen, it's on of the things I'm sure that I remember correctly."

I had seen a lot of strange things in the last couple of months, and this was par for the course, I had to state the obvious, " You may have died younger, but you have to face the facts that your bodies are older, so in the world you must realized that your age is truly thirty-six, and you, I guess you are Jim?"

The oldest then replied, " Yes Ma'am."

" You will always be in your fifties, just like Joe here will always look younger then nineteen, just like your High Priestess Stevie Rae will always be her age. Now tell me of this truth that you seek?" She then cleared her throat as if it were dry so I added, " Young lady. You are a vampyre, and alcohol will never effect you, plus this is a special blend just for my Zoeybird. So it will help you with your thirst, so please have a glass, then tell me what you need to ask."

I then uncorked the bottle and poured three glasses, then I place a glass before each of them, this was as much a test as any that I had done, and as the woman took a sip her response was that of a fifteen year old, " Wow, there's blood is this."

I had to laugh as I had the realization that yes they were telling the truth, most regular vampyres knew that special blend meant that there was blood in it, and her response was an almost breath of fresh air. Her face had such a precious look to it, I had to smile at her as I said, " You've convinced me, the other two would have probably known that special blend meant that there was blood in it, but as you told me you were fifteen, only someone so knew wouldn't know that. So you said you died then came back, and you have no idea of how your deaths came about, so what is it that you truly seek?"

She then giggled like a young girl, it hurt a little because I hadn't heard Zoeybird giggle like that in a long time. Then she gave me a reply, " Well we know we have a purpose, but no idea of what that purpose could possibly be. So I guess it would be good to know why we're here, what exactly are we suppose to do."

Well I wasn't a tribe seer, so I had no idea of what this was, but I did have a strange feeling about them, so in my own way I looked to my tribal ancestors, as I could converse with them from time to time. I allowed them in as I spoke to them, " Kyly, you were never known by that name, I have draw from the spirits that your true name is Carla, and you have been very recently mark by your goddess, you were right to say you were fifteen when this happened, and you were closing on sixteen. I perceive that your life was ended by Neferet, she had to keep the dark part of your spirit so she could control it, she then made of you . . . oh my."

Running Wolf stood perceiving had my delay was a warning, I put my hand up as to calm the fear within, and I could feel the tear roll down my face, I knew I continued in a haunted voice, " It was I that gave you your final death child." Running Wolf then looked at the two boys as he perceived that it was he that ended their short lives, so spoke to him, " Yes Running Wolf, you were the one that ended their lives, the older one was known as Peter and I see you drowning in your own blood. But the young boy, I see you as a magnificent vampyre, you should not have died, I perceive your name as Joshua, Josh is the name that you prefer to be called by. Carla you were going to be a vampyre actress, that explains why your tattoo's is as such. Peter you would have been a great vampyre warrior in your next life, Joshua you were going to be a great lover of horses, and I see your mentor, she is very close, and in time she may even be your lover. I see she loves you as much as she loves her horse which is saying a lot for her, she has seen a lot of darkness in her life, you will be the well spring for her, and her savior. In the end I see both Peter and Joshua as brilliant warriors, she robbed you of your future, but the goddess has give you a great new future, Carla I see grayness in your future, I believe this is my ancestors telling me that you have a final choice."

I had to stop as my head began to hurt, I could see both of Carla's futures, one was bright as an actress, the other was rebirth as a child, it was the second one that bothered me, did this speak of her possible death. Carla was crying, so I pulled out my ever present tissue that I had for my Zoeybird, Peter put his arm around her to try and comfort her, Josh just stood there in shock. This all shook me as well, it just all came to me, I then turned to him and said, " That is the only truth I perceive for you, Running Wolf can you get me a regular glass of wine?"

He reluctantly left the room, so I then added, " You three must go to your High Priestess Stevie Rae, she must put her hand upon you, she'll know what is to be done with you, I believe she is the queen you seek, even though she isn't old."

Carla's head went up as she asked, " Can you direct us in the right direction? Which way do we go?"

I smiled at her as I realized she could be any older version of my Zoeybird, or should I say she looked like an older version of her, she had snot all over her face. I then replied, " Yes I can show you the way you must go, I've had a feeling about my Zoeybird since I woke this day, and I have to make sure she is ok. So after Sam gets here I was planning to go and see her, I should have never allowed her to leave my presence, will you go with us?"

Her and Joshua nodded their heads as Peter replied, " Hell yeah!"

Running Wolf then came in with my glass, so I took it with both hands and said, " Running Wolf go prepare you warriors, I believe we go to enter the belly of the beast."

He gave me his million dollar smile, I could see he was truly waiting for this, he then sprinted out the door, I could hear the other two warriors yelling as he told them. The young so ready for war, but never ready for the horror that would come with it, I had to fear that many of his warriors wouldn't be coming back. I loved my Zoeybird, but was her war worth so many lives, all I wanted was to save her, so was I doing the right thing involving so many that really didn't have any business in her war.


	13. Chapter 13

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The battle within

Chapter 13

Zoey

I didn't want to worry my Grandma, but something was truly off, I couldn't put my finger on it, but nothing really felt right since I left to go see her. We pulled onto our parking place, the hairs on my neck just wouldn't go down, as we walked to the entrance it felt unusually cold, not that it was really cold this day. Sylcilia then opened the door, and in my mind I saw it, so I turned around to see it, yes the motorcycle was laying on it's side, no one would ever allow this to happen. She was right there showing her concern as she whispered, " Where are all our guards?"

Stark immediately pulled out his bow and notched an arrow, I started to center myself, I only had enough time to call upon air when I felt something around my neck and I started to choke. Stark let loose his arrow and commanded, " Let her loose witch!"

Sylcilia pulled me into the building as I saw Stark's arrow sticking out of Neferet's chest, I knew he had hit her heart, after all he never missed. So it came to my mind that she could no longer be killed as I gasped, " Stark get in here."

He withdrew keeping himself in between me and her, we then moved to the ladder as I tried to speak again, by the bottom of the ladder I managed to gasp, " Spirit come to me."

I instantly felt my spirit around me, I used all my reserve of strength as I barely gasped, " Help. Me. Spirit. Get off what ever is around my . . . neck."

It was suddenly gone as I was just about to faint, I was taking heavy gasps of air to get me back so I could breath again, as I lay there trying to regain something of myself I heard Stark say, " Shit! What happened to you Shawnee?"

I turned enough to see the bleeding body of Shawnee, I crawled over to her, and as I regained my strength I will my spirit to enter her, she flinched as it enter her body so we all knew she was alive. She then whispered, " Erin is still on the roof, there were so many of them Z, I . . .I think she maybe dead."

Ok, this may have pissed me off a little, so managed a low voice as I asked, " Where is everyone else?"

Sylcilia had retrieved one of the door way blankets, and she was ripping it up and using it as bandages as she whispered back, " I . . . don't know Z."

Stark then moved out as the two of us put the bandages on her, I then whispered to Sylcilia, " Can you get to your spears?"

She whispered back, " I'll give it a try when Stark returns."

I then pulled Shawnee into my arm's, I then whispered for the last three of my elements to come to me, then I placed fire to strengthen her, and water the sooth her wounds. We did our best until he returned, he had brought the first aid box with him, I nodded to her and she was off. He and I then dug through the box and fixed all the wounds that we could with what we had, I then whispered, " What did you see?"

He then looked as if what he had seen had drained him, the first thing he whispered was, " Erik's dead, Venus died just a few feet from him, Sister Mary Mary-angelic died at the bottom of the steps to the showers. The first place I checked was Stevie Rae's room, no blood or body, I heard a noise that's why I went to the pantry. I think they must be held up there, well because there's about twenty or more of those things in there. I saw the first aid box and immediately retrieved it, then I high tailed it right back here."

Sylcilia then came back and whispered, " Yes, I saw many of those things dead, I heard noises here and there, I think they're all over the place, I believe Hoverious and Aros fought back to back, they fell in our chambers. Aros is dead, I believe Hoverious will die within the time it takes us to get back there, I saw three more of our warriors dead, I believe they took out many, Hoverious and Aros destroyed at least twenty together."

I then asked in a whisper, " Did you see anyone else dead?"

" Yes Priestess, but I really don't know who she was, there could be more, I didn't check the rooms I heard noises, the one I saw was in the hall and it looked like her head been taken off. Priestess she was a fledgling with a red tattoo, I'm sure she was one of Stevie Rae's, one of the new red ones."

I nodded my head as I listened and Stark whispered, " Well we can't get to Stevie Rae, and we can't leave the way we came, so where do we go now?"

Shawnee then whispered as she regained some of her strength, " Z you have to find out if Erin is dead?" She then looked down on her body then added, " Oh and I guess I need some clothes . . . if our room is clear."

I looked at both Stark and Sylcilia, neither of them had a clue, so I had to think as I knew they were all looking to me, so I whispered, " First we take her to her room, I'll carry her, you two make sure it's clear, Sylcilia you'll be in charge of making sure you get her clothes, stark you'll guard the door so we can change her, then we'll figure it out from there." I looked at her, and as she looked very concerned I added, " Oh and then we'll see about Erin."

She nodded her head so then I picked her up with the help of Stark, we then moved to her room, and both of them and killed the one thing that was in her room, they did this without any noise. Then we redressed her as Stark guarded the door, then I asked in a low voice, " Sylcilia, did you see any of these things in the barracks or just past where you slept?"

I said this as I knew she slept in the farthest bed, she shook her head so I said in a low voice, " Stark get in here."

He came just inside the door so I whispered just loud enough for him to hear me, " Stark I think I know where we're going, but first Erin."

He tried to whisper in a low voice, " Ok Z-" but Sylcilia interrupted in a whisper, " Is that wise Priestess, we will only be trapped more completely."

I whispered in a lower voice, " It's an exit we've used before, Stevie Rae closed it up, but I maybe able to unseal it, if I can we have a way out. Then I guess we can regroup there." She nodded her head, so I said in a higher whisper, " Stark come over here." He moved to my side so I continued in a low whisper, " Get some blood just in case and for Shawnee, then you and Sylcilia go and find out about Erin."

He nodded his head and was off, I knew he would be close to those things, but I also knew he could use his special talents so they didn't see him, I could see Sylcilia looked at me with a confused look, so I whispered to her, " Stark has special abilities not to be seen, I have to stay here with Shawnee to keep my elements up, and if she's right and she's dead then bring the body, we don't want to leave any ammunition for Neferet."

She put her fist over her left breast and bowed her head, after Stark returned I whispered, " Give most of them to Shawnee, you and Sylcilia take only what you think you'll need, and Stark try not to get into a fight, we want to come back here."

He nodded his head as the two of them only took one bag a piece, then they were off, so I leaned down and asked in a whisper, " Are you feeling any better?"

She barely managed the words, " A little."

I then ripped off the top of one of the bags and whispered, " Drink one, we'll get you good help real soon."

She then put her mouth to the one I had ripped the top off and drank like a pro, I knew she hated the taste of blood, but she knew it would help her. Stark and Sylcilia came back much to soon, he had something in his arm's, so I had to ask in a whisper, " Is she d, dead?"

He gave a wary smile as he whispered, " Not yet, but we have to move."

" Where did you find her?"

Sylcilia then replied in a whisper, " Crawling to the ladder, this one is a true warrior."

I had to be proud of her as I gave a small smile, Erin was a warrior, but I really didn't have the time to waist on such sentiment, so I threw it out of my head. I then moved to Stark and took her, because I knew she was smaller then Shawnee, I then whispered, " You take Shawnee, then we go to the abbey."

Sylcilia then moved to her and took her up as she whispered, " It is best to keep his hands free, his ability is greater then mine."

I then said in a low voice, " Yeah, but you're the most experienced, you should have yours free."

" Priestess in this situation talent trumps experience, Stark lead the way and keep at the ready."

Stark nodded his head and then helped her with Shawnee, the way he helped it reminded me of Heath, as we moved he made sure the way was clear, I think he really didn't want us to trip, well and if we did there was no telling how we would be set upon. We made it to the old tunnels, the one red fledgling we past I did recognize as ShannonCompton, I was really learning to like her a lot, I had to cry for her, I could see she never had a chance, and no one deserved to die like that, I prayed for her soul, I won't go into what I saw. We had to pass fifty of those things dead or destroyed, around the two bodies in the barracks there were heaps of bodies, it looked like it was straight out of hell, and my two brave warriors took many with them. Finally we came upon three dead things, and a hulk crawling down the tunnel, Stark moved to it with his blade drawn, he stopped and took a gasp as he put his hand down, he then helped the hulk to his feet, he got hold of himself as he whispered, " I have you old boy, put your arm around me and I'll guide you."

Then I recognized the harsh low whisper, " Is Zoey with you, is she safe Stark?"

I had to stifle a cry as I said, " Damien," I immediately lowered my voice as I repeated, " Damien what did they do to you?"

He replied as I saw him, it looked like he was bleeding from his eye's, " Don't worry about me my Priestess, what's a few eye's, all that matters is that you are safe. Did I kill them all Stark?"

I really could see him any longer as I was crying for all my friends, I had to keep it silent as Stark replied, " Yeah you did well old boy, but we have to go so we can regroup and save Stevie Rae, she's trapped, were going to the abbey for help."

" Good, Hoverious was covered with those things, Aros and I tried to get to him, Aros was jumped by two, and I was jumped by one, it spit something in one of my eye's, Aros killed the two just to have his head taken off by one. Hoverious was a mad man, I mean his blade broke and then he started to crunch them with his bare hands, I used my air to try and help him, but when he went down they pushed me into the tunnels. The last that spit something in my last good eye was the one I ripped apart with my own hands, I had to go to the ground, I've been stumbling around trying to get up ever since."

I then whispered a little hoarsely, " What of Stevie Rae, did you see her get to safety?"

" Yeah, Raphraim and Aphrodite made sure, Darius was smacking them up side their heads, I think Thomas held the steps. But I went after the twins, with all that blocked my way I think they're dead, I'm sure I saw Shawnee go down."

Shawnee then whispered, " I'm not dead yet."

" Honey, honey how are you?"

" Bad," is all she managed, then she coughed, it sounded as if it had blood in it.

I then whispered as quietly as I could, " I have Erin, she's worse, we have to move."

He then whispered, " Ok Z, lets get out of here so we can fight another day, then we can come back and kick some ass."

This wasn't normal talk for him, I could hear the hardness in his voice, the boy had been through a lot, I had to wonder if he would ever fight again as I said, " Kicking someone's ass feels like a good call."

We only had to go a little way to find the fresh earth that Stevie Rae had put as a barrier to the abbey, I gently put Erin down and then used my earth affinity to move the earth, then we finished our short journey to the abbey. As we entered the basement of the abbey. I then yelled, " SISTER MARY ANGELA WE HAVE WOUNDED AND NEED YOUR HELP!"

We were surrounded in seconds by the meanest warriors I had ever seen, all I could say was, " Ah hell."

Sylvia

I have no idea why, but I had a bad feeling about this ever since Zoey had left me, I allowed Sam to do the driving since he was bring most of the fire power, he called his boys and they wasted no time getting to my house. I had my three new friends ride with us just to be safe, we drove in three pick-up trucks, the kids rode in the back as it was what most kids enjoyed, between the three truck we had twenty of Sam's warriors, well counting Sam, with my three new friends that gave us twenty-three. I wondered if that would be enough, as we got close I could feel something so I said in a stern voice, " Stop Sam."

Since I was our connection to Zoey, we were the lead trick, as Sam came to a quick stop everyone had to slam on the brakes, I then turned to the girl in between Sam and me, of course it was Carla. I then spoke so everyone out side the truck could hear, " Something's wrong." We could see the parking lot in the distance, I searched for any signs of life and saw none, so I then added, " I think we may need a decoy, Sam all your warriors will make them hard pressed to come out, so I think you should go and prepare for battle, but I have no death wish so I'll take these three with me, oh and I'll take the truck so I look normal. I'll pull in and see what I see, but Sam I really need you to on the ready, if I'm right we'll need you p. d. q. all right."

Sam looked at me with concern as he asked, " Sylvia?"

" No Sam! This is the only way, just keep me safe, and by our ancestors get to me quickly, after all, like I said I don't have a death wish."

He gave me a nodded after a few moments, then he jumped out of the truck and I moved to the driver seat, Peter and Josh then leaned over the sides, if was Peter that asked, " What's up?"

I then replied so both could hear, " We're going in, I need you two to be on the ready to attack if needed, I think you should also cover up your tattoo's, we need to look like four regular human's."

Carla then pulled a small make up jar out of her purse, Peter then pulled one out of his pocket, Josh had a look on his face I carefully placed the truck in drive, and I slowly pulled out. Then I asked, " Josh is there a problem?"

He replied, " Yes Sylvia, you see I never bothered to get any make up."

" Carla honey go into my purse and give him my make up bottle, Peter can you show him how to put it on?"

He smiled at me and replied, " Yes Ma'am."

Carla then gave him my small bottle of Madeline, it was funny that both Carla and Peter had really expensive rub on make up, and they perfectly matched their skin, I knew that Carla must have done this. I had to figure that Peter had no idea about make up, for a Cherokee woman my skin was a little darker, and I believe Josh's completion was a shade darker then mine, so it could cover up except at close inspection. I watched as I got close to the parking lot to make sure they were covered up, I whispered to Carla, " Make sure the boys do their make up right."

She then opened the back window and finished Josh's make up for him, as I finally pulled in, the first thing I saw was that a motor cycle was on it's side, and the car Zoey was in not pulled up properly. I pulled closer to the door we wanted to go in and didn't bother with the parking lot, Sam's truck was an older one, so as I stopped I knew I had to set the parking brake, after I had done this Josh helped me out. Peter had helped out Carla, and they were already coming around the truck, I wished I had given Carla some normal shoes, her three inch heels wouldn't be good if we had to run, I then whispered to her, " Honey take off those heels, we may have to run." I then looked at Josh and asked, " Is that motorcycle supposed to be laying down like that?"

Carla reached for Peter's shoulder as he replied, " No, it causes damage to it I think."

Carla removed her shoes as Peter said, " Yeah, I don't think it's cool, I heard about a biker beating the living hell out of someone for knocking over his bike, do you think I should pick it up?"

I replied, " No, it just tells me what I wanted to know, they must be under attack, keep you eye's open for any danger. Now I think we should back up to the door."

Carla then asked, " Is that wise Sylvia?"

" Well no dear, but they'll never attack us if we stay to close to the truck, and as far as they know were just four human's standing out here, and if I'm to be attacked I really don't want to be alone."

So as we backed up Peter stood in front of Carla, and Josh took up position in front of me, we then moved to the front of the truck, Carla moved directly to the door. Then we saw her float out of one of the trees, and as we moved I used every ancient Cherokee protect spells I knew, she then said, " Sylvia you've come to help your poor deluded Zoey, and you've brought me a snack."

I centered myself as I had always told Zoeybird to do, then I drew upon the spirits of my ancestors as I answered her, " Neferet, I can see how bloated darkness has make you, even if you kill me you will be defeated, the powers that be have arrayed against you."

" But Sylvia I've brought a few friends, you see I knew not to come aloe against you, and these mere human's can't stop me from my target," she waved her hand and added, " You see one word and your human friends will all be dead."

Then about ten of those strange things showed their ugly faces, behind them came five red fledglings and a red vampyre, and I could see how darkness had covered them all. So I then spoke directly to her, " So you have fully abandoned your goddess, and you have pulled the dark ones to you, will you turn them into those things?"

A young girl then stepped out and said, " Nyx has abandoned us, so we now follow our goddess queen, and she has given us a king."

The one red vampyre then said in a strong voice, " Shut up Nicole!"

"Yes Baby."

She looked as if she was afraid of him, then she put her hand down his pants, so I said, " So darkness has turned you into this, your goddess wouldn't allow you to be belittled like this." She then sneered at me as I saw all the yellow glowing eye's to their rear, Sam had explained that this was their rage coming through, so I added, " Neferet you can surrender now, then we might go easier on you."

She spit out, " You dare speak to me as if I'm nothing as your Granddaughter is, I am a goddess, you must knee down to me, as I'm the power here."

" I see nothing but a bloated woman, whom needs to learn respect," then I gave her a look that said I have the upper hand as I added, " and a proud Cherokee woman bows to no one, not even your love Kalona."

" Force her to knee," she flicked her fingers and sent dark tentacles at me, I could feel them slamming up against my ancient ancestors barriers, I made sure that I strengthened them as I asked, " Why do you attack an old woman?"

She sneered at me as she replied, " You are no old woman and we both know that, so you will make me do this the hard way as your daughter did, she cried the entire time I killed her, and I can wait here until you tire."

" Understand that I can't, so I'll ask you one more time, do you surrender to me?"

She laughed as she said, " Just kill them all, I tire of this."

It looked as if they would all jump at once, but none even had a chance to move, Wolves, Puma's, Bear's and deer came from all directions, the ten were destroyed even before they got to flinch. Neferet screamed and rose into the air as she screamed, " Kill them, kill them all! What do you mean you can't touch them, Dallas defend me!"

The one red vampyre moved only slightly as the largest bear flung his claw out and caught him in the neck, it seemed as if he burst into pieces then, then one of the red fledglings pulled a gun. The one known as Nicole then jumped at me, one of the wolves moved so fast that she never seen him coming as he ripped out her throat, the rest of the animals were growling, and the one boy put his gun on the ground and put his hands up. Nicole was still moving as Peter jumped and finished the job, both Carla and Josh were now growling as they showed their teeth, Peter then wiped the make up off his head. With this realization so did Carla and Josh, their growls were over shadowed by Neferet's screams as she seemed to be being pulled away from the fight, with this the last three red fledglings then put their hands up. We all watched as she was dragged kicking and screaming off, I swear I saw her bleeding from her eye's, nose, and mouth as she disappeared into the distance, and the treads of darkness was consuming all of it.


	14. Chapter 14

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

Getting a little dirty

Chapter 14

Zoey

I had to take a deep breath to center myself, as I did one on the warriors yelled, " SHE INVOKES!"

Stark the drew his bow and aimed it at the closest warrior and said thru gritted teeth, " The first that tries to strike dies!"

I had my eye's closed as I was centering myself, but I could hear all the metal of the drawing of weapons, so I slowly opened my eye's. As I did I saw a silver haired vampyre push his way through all the younger warriors, I had never seen such a beautiful old vampyre in my life, and his features were very strong. I had to bet that this guy was the only vampyre that would take on Darius and Hoverious at the same time, he then spoke in a authoritative voice, " Do we slay mere children?"

One of the younger vampyres then said, " But lord she invoked."

He took me in and asked, " Is this true child, were you invoking?"

My stomach was making flip flops, and in a way told me to be truthful with him, so I replied, " I was centering myself so I could do just that, and in time I would have brought the will of my goddess down upon you and your men, but more importantly what have you done with Sister Mary Angela?"

Then from behind all these massive men came, " Zoey, Zoeybird is that you?"

Her voice was like music to my ears, so I moved my head so I could see passed all these men to see Sister Mary Angela, I loved seeing the brightness of her smile, then her eye's traveled to what I had in my arm's, her look changed to concern as she asked, " What has happened child?"

This was very un-High Priestess like, but I burst into tears as I replied, " we w, were attacked sister, I, I think she's almost dead."

She then rushed toward me saying, " Julius help with the wounded, Stark won't hurt anyone he's her warrior and is just protecting his High Priestess, but he will give his all to make sure she is safe."

The very old vampyres eye brow's then went up, and his eye's got very large with the next thing I said, " He's my guardian now."

" What did you say dear?"

" Stark is no loner just my warrior, he's transformed into my guardian."

The old vampyre then said, " Men we are among royalty then, he can only be a guardian if she has been declared a queen, and if we kill her we will be at war with all vampyres so put your weapons away."

Stark grabbed my arm, so I had to say to him, " We trust Sister Mary Angela, Stark."

Then he added, " Yeah but what of her warlord?"

The very old warrior whom I figured as Julius then said, " Your guardian is right to fear us, we report directly to the Pope, but sister we have no report of such a fledgling that commands such power, why were we not told of her?"

She replied as she removed Erin from my arm's to his, " The Pontiff was given a full report about her, if you don't know of her then it was his decision, as she is not of the church he has declared her unique, and has given her the respect of our church."

All his warriors whom had put their weapons then did something weird, they all put their left hand's over their left brow, and extended their right hand's, you know like they wanted to shake my hand. I was completely and totally confused as I asked, " Ok, what are they doing?"

Sister Mary Angela was the first to explain, " It's an ancient sign of respect, they're showing their faces with one hand, and that they have noe weapons with their other. Because you are a woman all you have to do is touch their right hand with the tips of your fingers, they believe no woman can hurt them or carries weapons."

So I reached out to the closes one and grabbed the very ends of his finger's, he then dropped his hand's and gave a short bow, and as I went to the next she explained farther, " Julius told me that it is believed that this is where the modern salute came from and the hand shake, Julius also said this started just over a thousand years ago. A warrior would lift his visor and put out his weaponless hand, but this was also a way of treachery, you see that's when they would hide a dagger up their sleeves, but if a war master saw this he would immediately end his pupils life, and these are all Julius's warriors. I had no idea of what he was doing the first time he did this with me, so he explained it to me, my first thought was to salute him, now child we have business to attend to. You take the child from that child and bring her to our infirmary, these children need healing that we can attend to, now move so we can do this for my friends."

As one of the warriors move to Sylcilia I nodded my head and asked, " Sister will I and stark have our old room?"

" Are you still experiencing what Kalona was doing to you?"

She was staring at Sylcilia that followed directly behind us as we walked so I replied, " Yeah, oh sister this is Sylcilia, she's one of my protection warriors, oh sister I went to have dinner with my Grandma. After we returned we were attacked by Neferet, all I had taken with me was Stark and Sylcilia, it was bad sister, ShannonCompton was killed out right, Erin was almost killed, Shawnee was hurt almost as bad, and Damien, I have no idea what they did to his eye's. I'll just die if they don't survive, and, and Damien has to be able to see again."

She moved to him and examined his eye's closely, then as we got to the first one of the infirmary rooms, she said, " Sister Bianca help me with this young child."

Stark then positioned himself outside the door, as the four of us women took both Shawnee and Erin into the room, we carefully removed Erin's damaged clothes, then Bianca and Sylcilia went to work on her wounds. Sister Mary Angela and I started to redress Shawnee's wounds, I had never done this before, I just did what I had seen Darius do many times, I had to wish that he was here. The sister and I moved like we had done this together a million times before, we then made sure she laid next to Erin, I had the inescapable feeling that this was all my fault. Then we went cross the hall, Julius had already pulled off Damien's shirt, and was washing out his eye's, then as we dressed his eye's Sister Mary Angela asked, " Where are the rest of your friends?"

It hurt to admit it, not because I had done anything wrong, but because I was forced to leave them behind, so I gently whispered, " Trapped, I, I don't know how to get to them."

She took my face and with a concerned look asked, " Is there evil in the tunnels?" All I did was nod my head and Julius was out the door, it was as if this was a signal for him to move. I put my hand on her arm and asked, " He's not going into those tunnel's is he?"

She shook her head as she replied, " No, even though I can't be sure, I believe he's setting a guard."

" I'll close them back up as soon as we're done here."

Stark then asked from outside the door, " How will we help our friends then?"

I had no idea of how to do that and keep the sisters safe, all I knew is that I had to keep the abbey safe from what was down there, and more importantly the safety of my friends here. He came into the room and I just shrugged my shoulder's, he then nodded his head in agreement, then he went back out into the hall. The sister looked after him, " Who's he so worried about?"

I took a deep breath and replied, " Stevie Rae."

" Oh my, where is she?"

" One of those whom are trapped, and worst of all, he had seen that Sister Mary Mary-angelic had been killed. Stevie Rae has no one to help with the birth."

" But she was guarded by Hoverious."

" He's dead also, she almost made it to where they were trapped."

" He was Julius's favorite warrior, he will not stand for this."

" Neferet did this." She grabbed her pray beads and started to pray, as we laid down Damien I asked, " How are you feeling?"

He replied with a little grimace, " Better now."

" Good, can you put your healing air on Shawnee, while I move all my stuff to Erin?"

" Done Z. Neferet has a lot of deaths to answer for."

" Yeah Honey," I said as I stroked his face and added, " one of our loved ones will be particularly harsh on her, he deserves his vengeance."

Sister Mary Angela then realized of whom I spoke of, so she asked, " Damien did Jack fall in the tunnels?"

He started to tremble as I put my hand on his shoulder and said, " I'll explain it to her, but you really need to rest."

" Oh Z, " he cried.

Then I took her out into the hall, I was joined by Stark and Sylcilia as I said, " Neferet owed a debt to darkness, he was pure of heart and untaintable by darkness, so she made him her sacrifice to darkness."

She sigh as she asked, not to me but in general, " And Jack was the purest among all of you?"

" Yes Raphraim had heard her say it had been done, and the only one that had died was Jack. But sister it's so hard, we know she did this, but we have no physical evidence."

Stark then said, " And she keeps getting away with it, in fact I'm sure she's twisting this to all be our fault right now."

Sister Mary Angela then spoke something that I knew, but still surprised me a little, " It's because you keep stooping to their level, darkness survives because it hides, you hide so it can manipulate you. You chose to hide in the tunnels and she got a foot hold upon you, it controls your fate, Zoey you have to be smarter then this. What would happen if she moved openly against you, she would be seen for what she really was, and more would openly try to help you, you see all see you as being tainted by darkness."

I had to look at her, was she right, had I created all this, I just didn't really know, the tunnels felt so safe to me, so I asked, " How do you know so much about this?"

She crested my face as she replied, " Evil hides all over the world, I deal with the worst of it from time to time, and the church can hide some of the worst of it."

I openly laughed as I said, " Yeah, like the people of faith."

" Zoey I'm a person or faith, would you call me evil, and I'm sure that the church of The People of Faith hide theirs as well, I will admit that the majority of them are in a way evil, but would you encompass all as evil and ignorant?" Was she standing up for the people of faith, then she added, " Your step-father sought only power, in his own right he created his own evil, don't allow him to taint your vision."

Was she right, were their good people in the people of faith, and I was hiding from Neferet, I had to wonder what that said about Stevie Rae and me, maybe this was all right, we had created our own evil. I mean in a way she had never fully excepted the goodness around her, or within her, and I had to think of some of the things she had said, was she holding onto evil because it felt safe, and then I knew the answer to my question. Stevie Rae had to choose everyday to hold onto her humanity, but she never said she excepted the goodness within her, she was the most gentle person I had ever known, and I knew in my heart that she was good, but in her own way she could never except it. Then I looked at my guardian and truly saw him for the first time, he hadn't even picked his humanity, all he had picked was me, was I right, was this where his control issues stemmed from, was it his lack of humanity. He then looked at me so I asked, " Do you really love me?"

I smiled at him as he looked confused at me and replied, " Of course I do."

I then had to give him a good hard stare, his reply was a reply, but it just didn't feel correct. So I used a reasoning voice as I repeated, " No, I mean do you really love me?"

This time I didn't smile as I really wanted to hear the right comment, his look was utter confusion as he replied, " I'd lay my life down for you my queen, of course I love you."

I had a feeling like I was doing this all wrong, his reply seemed to be closer to what I needed to hear, but even in my state I wasn't sure what I was looking for, so I figured if I explained a little more then he would understand a little where I was coming from, " Stark I believe your control issues stem from your choosing of me, you chose to protect me, to guard me, but have you ever chosen your humanity over this, to chose me is to chose the goddess, but have you ever really chosen me, the goodness that is within me, and you."

He tried to open his mouth, but his utter confusion stopped him from answering, but then Sister Mary Angela spoke, " Stark I think Zoey is saying that simple love isn't enough, a boy can easily love a dog, but as love is you have to except it all, what she's asking is deep down can you feel the love for her, you to move as one so I think it's there. And in a way I believe this is soul deep, and as your spirit recognizes her, the problem stems from your acceptance, can you feel it in your heart as well as your spirit."

He looked at me, and I knew she had gotten closer then I could ever get, I nodded my head, even though I still wasn't sure if I was on the right path, then I turned my gaze upon the good sister, and I saw that she smiled at him. He then took a deep breath as he answered, " I do love you Z, but to say that I feel it deep down inside me, well I can't be so sure about that, I would love to say yes to that, but I said I would never lie to you, so for now I have to say no, but I would love to reserve the question until later if I could?"

He put his hand on his forehead as if he was thinking so I asked, " What Sister Mary Angela said made me realize it, you see we all have dark sides to us, our dark selves. I believe that Neferet had to take hold of this to create you, but as this only dwells in shadows, you had to be dead for her to grab hold of this. Then through this small piece of humanity she was able to recreate you, or make your undead self, or to speak your undeadness. So you had to grab hold of this humanity to regain control of your unlife, you in a sense took hold of my humanity to regain control. Your love for me helped you regain your control, but it is my humanity that you have hold of, you lack your full humanity to have the control you so need."

" So what your saying is that I have to make the decision for my humanity over you, or at least the decision for it per say."

Was this what I was saying, ah hell I didn't know, Sister Mary Angela then said, " No I don't think it's that simple, I believe your love for her was pure enough for you to make the choice, so the choice is already there, But what you have to do is except it, something even greater then Stevie Rae had to do."

I then knew we were on the right track, so I spoke my mind, " When we healed Stevie Rae she lost control, in her lose of control she killed Aphrodite, it was this horror that really changed her, wow, that really explains a lot."

Stark even looked more confused as he asked, " What does that explain?"

" Nothing really about you, I think, but Stevie Rae loves and respects Aphrodite, even though she felt she hated her."

" What the hell Z?"

" Think about it, Aphrodite really loves Darius, so allowing him to take her blood should have broken her bond with Stevie Rae, but in the end it was only changed by her love for Raphraim, he broke their imprint."

He looked at the sister and asked, " Does this mean I don't love Z enough?"

She gave him a gentle smile as she replied, " No child, but your love blinds you to what is happening within you, you can see your love, but you had nothing as dramatic as that in your life."

" But-" I cut him off as I added, " Your control issues come straight from this darkness that's never left you, it's as if your being controlled by another soul to speak, you only loose control once you release this, then you don't know what you're doing."

He shook his head as he said, " Yeah but I defeated it in the otherworld, it can't control me anymore."

Sister Mary Angela then put her hand on his arm as she asked, " Yes, but did you truly defeat it, can any of us truly defeat our dark selves, if this happened could we really be ourselves?"

" Yeah I couldn't, I know that, I had to kill it, then except it back into myself."

" As all of us has evil in our bodies, and we learn how to control this, but yours was set free, we always have to take steps in controlling it every day."

I then added, " Yeah, and your a new kind of vampyre, Stevie Rae says she has to pick her humanity everyday, what if this last part of your humanity is missing because you only pick me through my humanity, this would mean that your not picking to be good, but to be with me."

He chuckled as he asked, " Could it be that simple Z? Could I just pick my humanity every day? Could we have a normal life?"

" I think normal sailed a long time ago."

He then had to laugh, but Sister Mary Angela interrupted his tirade as she said, " Stevie Rae had a pure example in the death of Aphrodite, or of what she thought of a great friend, in the end you didn't loose Zoey, you saved her life, so as you never experienced this you have no example, not that any of us want her dead."

He sobered up really fast as he said, " You're right I saw it, I know what I now saw."

" What did you see Stark?"

" Venus and Erik, he must have been the first to die, it caused her to fully change, I saw the fully changed tattoo's on her brow, but there was so much blood, I thought I was seeing things, she must have seen him die, she made the step to try and save him."

He hadn't told me this, Venus had made the change right after Erik died, so she had to truly be in love with him, and she made the step into her humanity, I had to wonder if any of the rest of the dead had made this choice. Then he said, " We have to go back and face her, we have to go back to the House of Night."

Sylcilia whom had remained silent then spoke up, " Even if we all die, we must allow all to see us standing up to her, in the end, life or death, we have to stand up to Neferet."

I then made up my mind and said, " Even if it kills us all."

Sister Mary Angela then said, " Yes child, and may god have mercy on our souls."

From just down the hall came, " And God's will be done."

We all looked to see Julius walking toward us.

Sylvia

I was beside myself with worry, the car that Zoey had ridden in was there, she had to be here, I then turned to the very large bear and said, " My Zoeybird is here some place Sam, we have to find her."

The bear then moved it's massive head, two wolves then moved off, one of the other bears then open then door with it's massive claws, we then entered the first room. I looked in horror when I saw a very large pool of fresh blood,Peter then went straight over and smelt it and said, " It doesn't have the same sell of yours, but it does smell human, and it looks like someone pick it up what ever it was."

I then pointed at the a jarred grate, as I thought I could see a hand print and said, " Josh go look and see if there is anyone down there, but be careful."

He was there before I finished my statement, he moved it very carefully so as not to touch the hand print, he then turned his head and said, " I only see one set of hand prints and foot prints, I don't think there was more then one."

Carla was next to him almost as fast, she seemed to be searching for something, then she added, " I can't see anyone, I think it's safe for us to go down."

By this time Sam was right next to me, he was fully nude as he said, " Lilly and Billie jump down, after Sonny go down and give Alice, Joe, Paul, and Kyle something to jump down on, then make a general search, but what ever you do don't engage, just get a scent and see where everything is, and after we;ll follow."

The two Puma's jumped down the hole, they leaped with a grace not see before, after a few moments they growled, then a bear climbed down, he then growled, and four wolves jumped down. It seemed like we waited forever to hear another sound, then it seemed in time we heard four howls, so Sam then said, " Ok Sylvia you can go down, Josh and Carla go in front of her, Peter and I will follow her, then the rest of my kids will follow us, we'll need to move away from the hole, I need you three to be on the constant alert."

We then climbed down the ladder, after we were all down, then another bear came down, we moved just out of the way of the ladder, the bear then laid as the rest of the animals came down. Before this happened Sam jumped down like he was just a kid himself, not a man of fifty-three, I knew he had to have hurt himself, but he ran off like nothing had happened, so my three new friends moved me off so the animals could get in. The others moved down the hall as if nothing was there, and I had to figure that there wasn't anything, you see they made a God awful noise and we weren't attacked. Then the very large bear that I figure was Sam came in and growled, they moved out away from us, two very large boars were in front of us, as we moved down the hall we could see wolves coming and going. We came to a point and Sam growled so loud that it seemed that it would deafen us, it took a few minutes to be able to hear again, the puma's and some lynx's were tangling with something. One lynx rolled out in front of us, then one of the boars charged forward and caught the thing, I still don't know how to describe what they looked like, but between the lynx and the boar they tore it up.

Then another hit the wall right in front of us, Sam's head then came out and made short work of it, it spit something on him, but as soon as it did it's damage it seemed to heal on him. One then ran out into the hall, it seemed like it was going after Sam, but two wolves were on it in seconds, I had to think of how bad it was for the thing, it never even had a chance to spit. They ripped and tore into what looked like human body parts, we saw the parts going every which direction. One jumped out behind us and Carla grabbed what looked like it's neck and ripped it out, with this the other boar joined her fight and they did away with it within seconds. We then got to the room where most of the fighting was taking place, the things were in a mad house, they were trying to move, but the animals had them trapped, the three of us moved to what looked like a ladder that went up. So I then yelled up, " ZOEY, KIDS, ARE YOU UP THERE!"

The door flew open and I saw Aphrodite so I yelled, " WE COULD USE A LITTLE HELP DOWN HERE!"

Darius was next to me in a second, there was another vampyre I didn't recognize as I said, " Don't hurt the animals, they're on our side."

The two of them then joined the fray, as they did this Aphrodite was right next to me, I then saw her lovely tattoo, it was very simple so I said, " I'm so glad for you daughter, is my Zoeybird up there?"

" No Grandma," she replied grimly, "we were hoping that she was still with you, we've lost so much, I saw Shawnee go down, she was with Erin which must mean that she's dead also. Erik bite it just seconds before Venus did, and poor ShannonCompton, she had four of those things on her. All she could do was scream and scream as they killed her, but Stevie Rae is good, even though she is having a little problem right now."

I then asked in a worried tone, " What's wrong with Stevie Rae?"

" Darius thinks she's about to give birth, see that dead human at your feet, she was supposed to help her give birth, and the only other one that was in the know was Damien. And we don't know where she is."

" This may sound silly to you, but why Damien?"

" He went online and found all he could before she came, Damien was really trying hard to be a help, and Darius is trying to help, but he's way out of his element, a good combat wound and he really can fix you up, but a little screaming girl unnerves him."

I looked at her as she spoke about him with such love, but her words really dug deeply, I then took a deep breath and said, What you need is a wet nurse."

" Yeah, well were clean out of them."

" Except for the certified one standing next to you."

" What? Wait she's a vampyre, how can you help?"

" I'm sure that birth would be the same in both worlds, and even if I had to have extra knowledge, I'm all you have right now." 

Then from just down the hall came Sam's voice, " Sylvia they're all dead, what do you need us to do next?"

I so wanted to go with them, but I also knew that Stevie Rae needed me right then, so I said, " Sam I'm sending you Aphrodite, she'll show you Zoey's room, Sam go with her and find my Zoeybird, tell her I'm with Stevie Rae and safe, make sure she knows she giving birth." Then I turned to Carla and said, " Take your boys with them, Aphrodite is a prophetess, make sure she is safe, Stevie Rae is your High Priestess, you can meet her after you're done."

Aphrodite then went with the three as Carla nodded her head, they took with them a hand full of fledglings, I myself went up the ladder to see all the hurt fledglings laying around. It wasn't hard to find her, all I had to do was follow all her screaming, I moved to what looked like a woman's locked room, I saw a very young Indian boy holding her hand. I could see how white his hand turned as she screamed, I immediately moved to her side and said, " Stevie Rae take shorter breaths." Her eye's snapped open as she tried to smile through her pain, I then looked at the boy and said, " I need you to get me some rags or towels, and water would be nice."

He didn't move until Stevie Rae said, " Raphraim do as she says."

With this he then jumped up and moved, the first thing he did was go to an old pile of towels, I could see as well as smell how dirty they were, so I snapped, " No! Are you trying to kill her, get some clean ones, don't worry we killed all those things in the tunnels."

I could hear that the pain had subsided in Stevie Rae, so she also added, " Then help those whom are hurt to their rooms, Don't worry Grandma would never allow me to get hurt, oh Raphraim this is Zoey's Grandma." He nodded a very short nod then ran off, she smiled at me as she said, " I love that boy to death, but he hovers like a turkey buzzard in a field full of turkeys, I hope this keeps him busy for a little while."

I just had to love her simple way of speaking as I gave her my best smile and asked, " Is their anyone up here that you would trust with your life?"

" Kramisha, but she's hurt."

I then looked around and saw a small swimming pool so I said, " Honey I'm going to fill that swimming pool with water, do you think you can walk to it after I'm done?"

" I can give it a cowboy try."

" Just lean on me for help as you move, well as best as you can, remember I'm a little more fragile then you, we'll move after your next contraction."

She then asked, " Why?'

As I turned made my way to the pool and turned on the water I replied, " Because I have to properly time your next contraction, it would be better if we didn't move you, you know to best gauge it's length without a bad movement involved, at least yet." She then made a grunting noise so I added, " Or your next, I don't think we have much time."

Then a scream burst from her lungs, Raphraim then burst back into the room, he had towels over his arm. I then took the towels and said, " I need you to bring Kramisha in here and place her next to the pool, then help Stevie Rae with what she told you to do, you know how much she worries about her fledglings."

He then nodded his head and was off again, I went and sat next to Stevie Rae and told her, " Deep cleansing breaths dear, and don't push yet, I know it would be very easy."

Then I took a towel and dabbed the sweat off her forehead, Raphraim then came in with and put the girl next to the pool, she stared at Stevie Rae and the pain that she was in. I could see her pain subsiding so I said, " Go, we girls can handle this." The worry in his eye's told me how much he loved her, so I looked at his and added, " You have my word as a mid-wife."

He turned and as I saw his not wanting to leave, Stevie Rae said, " Now Raphraim, you know Zoey would never hurt me, so you have to know her Grandma wouldn't doubly, now cowboy up and do what I told you, but not before you give me a little sugar first."

He came over to her and gave her a kiss, then he ducked his head like a wounded animal and left, the young colored girl then said as he left, " Ah hell no, I be no good nurse maid, you called the wrong girl for this."

I then turned to her and said, " Stevie Rae trusts you, she wants you here, so as she would say just cowgirl up and help her out. Now when I move her you'll have to help seat her down, I'll bring her over there, but you can help her sit, we don't want any sudden moves, like her breaking her tail bone with this birth, if it's going to happen let the baby do it."

" Oh Hell!" she shook her head and said, " I only be doing this for you Stevie Rae."

She then made a grunting noise and she screamed, " I KNOW KRAMISHA!"

I had to look at her as I knew this was to close, so I said, " Hold on Stevie Rae, now try to take deep breaths."

Kramisha's face mirrored her face with the same pain, I did the same with her forehead, I put my hand on her stomach, I then could feel her baby, it was near the birth canal, there wasn't much that was going to stop this baby. Her pain finally subsided, so I asked, " We have to make this fast, are you ready?"

She nodded her head, so I put my hand out and she she grabbed it, I then helped her to her feet, then I added, " Walk with your feet spaced apart, it will help you walk."

Then we walked over to the pool, I could feel the tension in her hands, as we arrived we helped her down, Kramisha's leg had been hurt, but she was a trooper as she helped her go down carefully down. As Stevie Rae made another grunting noise I put the some of the towels in the water, and placed them over her, then a flood of blood came out, I hadn't even removed her panties yet, so I did it as best as I could. And I said, " I'm sorry about your panties Honey, Kramisha keep her covered as best as you can, and hold her hand, you'll need to be the coach."

Stevie Rae was screaming bloody murder, I knew what was happening, I had to hope she could hang on, I then used one of the towels to wipe my hands and threw it a side. Kramisha's eye's went straight to it so I figured I had to added, " She's a vampyre, that might be normal. Your doing fine young lady, have you done this before?"

The question was to Kramisha as Stevie Rae answered, " Are you kidding?"

I had to calm her down so I said, " Yes is it working?"

She then settled down, and shook her head, as she said, " No! And that hurt like hell."

I then said, " When the next one come I need you to bare down, I'll try to help you, but most of this will be your job, and Stevie Rae we're done with holding back, just let it all out."

Her eye's then got really big, then she screamed again, Kramisha then screamed with her, I could see her hand turning white, so I then looked down to see the crown of the head. I put my hand on her stomach, and gave the soft area a little push, then I saw what I was looking for as an little arm came out, I then used my free hand and turned the baby. The other arm then came free, and the baby slid out all on it's own, I then took one of the wet towels and cleaned the baby off, as I did this it started to cry, then I took a dry towel and wrapped it in it, the last thing I did was check out what the sex was. Then I place him in her arm's, and I asked, " Well young lady have you chosen a name for him yet?"

As she put it in her arm's she gave a little giggle and replied, " We haven't had time yet, oh my sweet baby boy."

I then said, " You have to make yourself ready, I mean he;s probably hungry, had anyone told you how to breast feed him yet."

She smiled at me as Raphraim came in juggling four blood bags, Stevie Rae then laughed and said, " Raphraim look at your baby boy."

He took one look at him and hit the floor, both Kramisha and I then made him comfortable, she then made a little squeaking noise, and curled up in a ball, she was next to him as I asked, " What's happening to her?"

Stevie Rae then took a look at her, in one moment she was really worried, then her worry turned to happiness as she said, " Kramisha how does it feel to be a full fledged vampyre."

She was laughing so loudly that the baby started to cry, so I had witnessed a vampyre birth, change, and a fainting human in all one swoop, but I had to continue as I said, " We don't have time for this, Kramisha we have to get her ready for the second part."

They both looked at me as Stevie Rae went into contractions again, she then asked, " Shit is she having another baby?"

" No dear, she has to get rid of what's left of the baby, most call it the after birth."

We would have another twenty minutes of pain, and excuse the pun, but the entire time Raphraim slept like a baby.


	15. Chapter 15

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

Can this possibly be the end

Chapter 15

Zoey

Was I scared, you bet ya. But was I ready for this show down, well not really, but it had to be. The good sisters sent as many of their kind they dare, they had six vampyre warriors with them and sent them all, and Julius was really ready to kill Neferet at all cost for the death of his favorite Hoverious. We then came to the gate and I used my opener in my purse, as we walked through I had to notice how quiet the campus was, we move toward the main building, my head was shooting in every direction. There was no one around, I mean no one on a campus that had just over two hundred kids, it was as if everyone had just ran away, I had to wonder about why this was. As we moved I also realized that some of the gas lights were out, on our campus the ground crews that worked during the day were very good about keeping up maintenance, I had never seen one out let alone this many. We then move toward the main door, and as we approached Dragon stepped out so I said, " Dragon get out of my way, she's gone to far this time, I'm here to make sure she pays for her crimes."

He had in his arm's a very long blade, it almost look like the one that had killed Jack, his eye's then narrowed as he spoke, " I can't allow harm to come to one of our Priestesses, you as a Priestess of Nyx know this, unless Neferet is correct and you turned your back on our goddess."

I then said to him, " You heard the goddess, she doesn't recognize her anymore, it isn't me whom turned my back on Nyx, she's picked her path has ignored our goddess, so can we ever give her that title anymore."

" You profane our goddess."

" No I profane Neferet, she's the one that has abandoned our goddess, the darkness swells her."

His look was that of disdain as he said, " It's better then taking and excepting darkness as one of your own."

Sister Mary Angela then spoke, " I'm very well learned at what darkness looks like, and I assure you Neferet has taken darkness into her life, she has willing excepted it, and has made love to it."

He then yelled with the force of his hatred, " I SAW HER WITH MY OWN EYE'S, SHE'S EXCEPTED DARKNESS AND THE BEAST INTO HER OWN, HER VERY COUNCIL!"

His face then seemed to change in front of us, Stark then put his hand on my arm and said, " Careful Zoey, Neferet has him wrapped in darkness, he can't make a clear decision."

Sylcilia then moved to my side and Julius then said in a very strong voice, " Step aside warrior, we want your so called High Priestess, and we wish you no harm, but I promise you that my knights and I can dispatch you easily."

" Knights!" He spit out as he added, " Zoey Redbird you deface our goddess with siding with their like, I can not allow them to exist on our land, and you must be wiped off the world as the abomination that you are, you have clearly deface our goddess."

I just had to ask, " Dragon where are all your warriors, why do they not stand beside you?"

" They have deserted their posts like cowards."

" The sons of Erebus have never been cowards and you know it, search your thought's, you know where they are, she has killed them all, and where are all the fledglings that need to be here?"

" Purge by the goddess, she knew of your lies, so she forced them all to reject the change."

I had to think, I mean didn't Neferet have to report this to someone, wouldn't the High Council have came, and what of Lenobra and all the professors, surely one of them would have said something. And that was it, soi asked, " And where is your friend Lenobra, she loves you as a brother?"

His face seemed to lighten up as he said, " She hides with her horses, we run this campus alone, she has turned her back on us."

" And what about all the professors, not all of them would turn their backs on the campus, especially Gramy."

" All are with her, they all fear the truth about you."

Stark whispered, " It's working Z, the darkness keeps losing, but just barely."

I then moved a little closer and asked, " If all don't see this truth, could it be a lie then, and the truth that you see before you isn't a lie?"

He looked at me in a sneer as he spit out, " You reject our goddess, you are the lie."

As I looked at Stark who had worry on his face, I had to think one step forward and two steps back, he shook his head so I went for what I knew, so I said, " But all you friends can't be wrong, Anastasia knew this, and what of your great friend Damien, he really loves you and would think you'd do the right thing?"

I don't know why I added that last part, was it a mistake, his face got lighter as he said, " You wound his soul, he lost his love and you took him away from him as he was in morning, his body was still smoldering. It shows the evil within you, you took him away at his darkest time, this shows the evil within you, you have been banded from all House of Nights."

" I can't believe that, by who's authority did this happen?"

" It came down from the High Council."

Sister Mary Angels then spoke again, " He doesn't know, warrior the High Council hasn't been called together in months. No one can find the High Priestesses that preside over it, all the members except for one at least, they fear all the members are dead. A single High Priestess named Thantos is all they can find, and all of the sons of Erebus have been called to protect her, so my question to you is why haven't you came to her call?"

He looked around in desperation, so I added, " He doesn't know because he heard this from Neferet, the High Council has restricted his calls because of the lose of his Anastasia, I don't feel it's right, but it was the High Councils call."

He then spit out, " It just shows how you have effected the High Council, you have put doubt into them, and they have gone into seclusion, they are waiting to send their judgment down upon your head."

" I know they never reach as fast as they should, but they themselves have called me a High Priestess, and Sgiach has called me a queen, she is your queen, will you not believe what she says?"

" A fool that hid herself from the High Council instead of dealing with them, she buries her head in the sand."

Sylcilia then said in a heated voice, " And what of it, she protects the council from a protracted war, would you have all vampyres at war, I speak of her as a member of the McUallis clan, she sent me as a protector of this young queen, and I'll give my life for this queen, so I have sworn."

Stark then said, " Yeah and as one of her brothers I'm so sworn as her Guardian, we don't want to fight you, but you know that we have to, would you so easily give your life in such a fruitless endeavor."

" You two are fools," he said with less anger then I had heard from him in a long time, " she's just played you just like she's payed Neferet, do you know that she used to be her mentor?"

Julius then spoke, " And what of us warrior, you know we don't give our allegiance easily, but in the short time I've known her I can see the purity in her plight, I believe her, and what of the sisters, they feel the truth in someone, they can never be swayed, and yet the good sister has told me of how great she is."

" All lies-" He replied, but sister Mary Angela cut him off with, " And God, the head of the holy church has call her a friend, if the pontiff recognizes her then the entire church has to, yes he hasn't called her a Christian, but he has called her righteous in God's eye's. Your goddess has said so, my God has said so, do you need more proof, would it take Jesus, the Holy Mother, or the Father himself to come to you to believe."

His head shot around as if all that he had believed had just been shaken to the core, he then stood straight up and he looked straight into my eye's, then my purse started to vibrate. Ah hell, I really didn't need this right know, who could be calling me right then and there, my gut said I had to answer it, but what was I to do, his will was waning, we had to keep this up. The sister then put her hand on my arm and she said, " Zoey dear, my God says you have to answer that, good warrior this is news you have to hear."

I then pulled out my phone, I saw it was from my Grandma, so I flipped open my phone and said, " Grandma were in the middle of something right now, can I call you back?"

She then replied, " Yes my Zoeybird, but I thought you would like to know Stevie Rae has had her baby."

" What? You're kidding."

" Zoey have I ever lied to you?"

" Sorry Grandma, I think the good sister was right, I have to take this, so what did she have?"

" We thought it was a baby boy, but we were wrong, she's a lovely baby girl, she is the most beautiful thing you ever saw, can you believe Raphraim fainted."

" Oh my, he's ok right?"

" Yes, Kramisha and I helped him out, even though it was a little inconvenient at the time, as she was still in the middle of giving birth, Zoey I can't wait until you see little Anastasia."

" What did you call her?"

" Little Anastasia, it was strange you see, Raphraim woke up from hid dream and he was the one that said it, he said he was in a great garden with a very lovely woman, she told him that she was sending him a gift. And he would be responsible for his life debt to this child, and that through her he would make the world right, Stevie Rae wanted to call her Zoey, but he was so insistent upon it, so I had to go into his dream and find out. Zoeybird I'm sure it was your goddess, she has sent all of you a gift to keep and protect."

" Really, whoa that's deep, a think your timing couldn't have been better Grandma, hey where are you at?"

She then giggled as she replied, " I was so worried about you, I got all my forces together to save you, I should have known that you could take care of yourself, oh I sent my forces to you, if I'm right Sam will be there very soon, Zoey don't kill any strange animals you see."

" Animals Grandma?"

" Yes Zoeybird, and Neferet doesn't seem to be able to affect them."

I had to giggle at the news, I was set for a show down, but instead I get great news, would this be what would change Dragon's path, I then said, " Thanks Grandma, I think this news will change everything, and I'll be home soon, so goodbye for now."

" Bye U-we-tsi-a-ge-yv."

I loved it when she called me the name for daughter in Cherokee, I turned to Dragon and asked, " You believe in what the goddess would do right?" His expression changed to a hard one, as he nodded his head, so I continued, " Stevie Rae had her baby, and the gut you called darkness had a dream with the goddess, they had a baby girl, and do you know what the goddess told him to call her?"

He looked at me as if he was confused as he asked, " No?"

I then said so everyone could hear, " Everyone Sister Mary Angela and I have to do this, so be on the ready, but know that we are doing the will of our God and goddess."

She then took my arm, and we walked to him and I put my hand on his arm and said, " The goddess said he had a life debt to pay, and it was only right if he guarded a life that he had taken, so I say these very simple words to you Dragon, Your love has returned this very day, and she has been given the care of Raphraim."

" What? NO? She can't do this to me."

" But she has, and Anastasia is in Stevie Rae's arms right now, she wanted to go against the goddesses will and name her after me, can you believe that?"

He dropped to his knee's, and he started to weep, I put my arm's around him, he then cried, " I knew she would find away to come back to me, I have to go to her, I have to lay down my life to her again."

I kissed him on the cheek as I said, " Neferet will never allow her to live you know that right?" His head snapped up as his tears were clear to see, so I added, " You knew she turned her back on the goddess, and you saw what she did and turned a blind eye for revenge didn't you?"

He kissed my hand and nodded his head as he replied, " And I turned my back on my own oath, I sworn myself as your warrior, but I just couldn't take what you had excepted, all I seen him as was the thing he used to be, I turned my back on our goddess."

He then sat weeping and the two of us comforted him, he was as a child reborn, all our warriors then surrounded us to protect us.

Carla

We arrived at the gate I feared more then anything the earth, the big warrior then pulled something out of his pocket and the gate opened, the beasts then went every which way as we entered. I could see the fear in all the fledglings eye's, I knew what they were feeling, all I wanted to do was run, but I was told to protect this girl that I was told was a Prophetess. Would it look good to my two friends, especially the one I think I loved, they looked at me as the leader, not that they ever even said it, the other warrior had pulled out a very mean looking short sword. The two boars and the giant bear never left our side, I knew I was hear once, in fact I felt I was brought hear to be safe just to meet my death, one of the wolves then howled, we then all moved with purpose. We then moved around the building and saw a group of warriors, and two kneeling on the ground with another warrior, one had to be a High Priestess, and the other was a nun. What a nun. So I spoke my thought's, " What the hell is a nun doing here?"

Aphrodite then said, " It's Sister Mary Angela, and the other is Zoey our High Priestess, the other penguins are her sisters."

The nun then lifted her head and said, " Well hello to you to Aphrodite."

She then gave her a look that I would have called hatred, but then she spoke with such love to her, " Hey sister, how's it going?"

" Have you heard the news, Stevie Rae gave birth, it was a baby girl, Sylvia called and told us."

" And why is he crying, the last I heard he wanted to rip out Raphraim's guts."

The one that I heard a heart beat from then said, " The goddess has given us a gift, she has sent Anastasia back to us, I just had to tell him, and now he's sworn to protect her."

He nodded his head as she spit out, " And what of her father, will he still rip out his fucking guts?"

The man then said, " Our laws are plain, if I protect her, then I protect him, even from me."

He drew out a small dagger, but a very old vampyre knocked it out of his hand and said, " You swore to protect her, would you allow yourself to go back on your word, and what of your Anastasia, who will protect her then, you are a great warrior of Erebus, you must think before you act."

The one known as Zoey then asked, " Would you deprive us of your friendship also, I know you have a problem with Raphraim, but we need our sword master, and Dragon I would call you my friend."

I then asked, " Hey, are you really a sword master?"

He looked at me and then asked his own question, " How could a vampyre grow to such an age and not recognize a sword master?"

What was I going to say, so I replied with the truth, " I was only fifteen when I died, the goddess made me come back to warn someone, even though I really can't remember whom that is. Hell I could remember my name, until Sylvia told it to me, the only thing I could remember was that I was younger then this thirty-six year old body she gave me. Dammit Peter is only seventeen and he has a fifty-two year old body, the only one that came close was Josh, I mean he was nineteen and she gave him a seventeen year old body."

Everyone was then staring at us, Josh then said, " Dragon, I know you, I was your worst pupil, you even put me with your best young fledgling, I think his name was Damien."

Peter then said, " Hey yeah, I remember that name, Damien, yeah, he was really cool until you told me he died, you said I could be his second if he had lived."

He then said, " Lies, all lies, I supplanted them so you wouldn't go to him, she told me to tell you that, it was all a rues so you wouldn't go to him, she is the queen of lies, she's lied to us all for her new love."

Zoey then asked, " Her new love?"

He then looked up into the shy as he replied, " She barely allows him out of her room, he does whatever she tells him to do, I believe that there's nothing there, he just feels wrong to me, like he really shouldn't exist. In a way he feels like when Kalona came to us, she's up there right now, I think she's been hurt, and if all her life has been drained out of her, she ordered me to protect her. But in a way I feel that he's more powerful then the former immortal, it's almost an untamed anger, a rage that seems to fill him, she did say one curious thing when she ordered me to protect her. She said the rage is so complete, yet their animalism is so out there, that no darkness can taint them, at the time I felt that she was talking about him, but in truth I see that she was talking bout them."

He then waved his hand out to all the animals around me, and in my darkness I knew he was right, these friends of Sylvia had such a way about them, I was sure that if we fought them it would be a losing battle. And when I saw their eye's light up in their pure rage, it came to me that in this stage it was impossible to defeat them. I had heard about werewolves in school, but if these were the werewolves of stories it was a wonder if anything could really kill them. They seemed to be of the purest life, a most animal form, and as unnatural as we were, I mean a dead thing shouldn't exist, in a way we were the same as they were, in our creation as our existence. It was then that it came to me, we were here, and yet the thing we sought wasn't in sight, so I asked, " Hey, you said that she went to her room, have you seen her since, I mean could she be dead."

He shook his head as he replied, " No she would have gone past me, I was stationed in front of the door until I saw you coming."

Zoey then said, " Yeah, but she can fly, have you been looking up?"

" No High Priestess, I have been stationed in front of this door, she took eight blood bags with her to her room, even if we're drained we only need six to recharge, so I figured she had to do some serious healing."

Zoey then looked around and as she did she asked, " Did you leave anyone to protect my Grandma?"

Aphrodite then replied, " No Z, your Grandma sent us all to find you."

" Grandma! We need to go right now."


	16. Chapter 16

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The sad among the greater things

Chapter 16

**This was the hardest chapter for me to write, in the way that I write I let the story control itself.**

**It lead to my most beloved character in the series to be killed off.**

**I cried a little while I wrote this, and I hope I don't get any hate mail.**

Sylvia

I had finished up with Stevie Rae, then called Zoeybird to give her the news, Raphraim and I got rid of all the blood towels,I then helped him take Kramisha down that small hole. I had to show Stevie Rae how to breast feed, she was a little hesitant to do this, but I showed her the way to make sure the baby took on to a nipple. I also showed her for modesty sake to cover it up while she fed her, and the way to position her so she could always be covered. Her new baby was just a little bigger then a football, she was afraid that it was to small, so I also had to explain that this was always the size of new born, and that she would gain a lot of food after a day or so. The way she squeaked when she cried, that girl was going to have strong lungs, as all new mothers I explained that that was the way they were supposed to sound, I also explained it was ok to allow her to cry a little at first, it helps with her voice box. She was born without hair, a toe head, can you believe it, I was used to babies having a full head of hair, with Raphraim being dark I figured she would have had dark hair. She had his completion and her hair, and I can assure you that Stevie Rae is a natural blonde, it seemed she had the beauty of each, her cute button nose, his great smile, her blue eye's.

I know they say all these things are normal and will change over time, but I feel that cutie will look like that up until she dies, I did the toe and finger thing to make sure, five of each on each hand and foot. The only question I had was which world will she be the most closely related to, will she become a vampyre like her mother, or will she take on the aspects of her father. I was hoping for the prior then the later, that's all they needed was for all Grandpa to have some kind of control over her, he's a good boy, but his father really leaves a little to desire. I had to laugh at Stevie Rae, all that water and she still needs a good shower, with all the blood from the birth and her sweating, I learned from Zoey that vampyres do everything the same as humans, except the drinking blood part. So as it were I never expected her to sweat blood, I'll have to ask Zoey about that, or if that is a red vampyre thing, her beautiful blonde hair was orange, or maybe closer to a rust or copper. Kamisha tried to help clean her off, but she still looks a little tan, you know that orange tan, not a true tan, it has stained her skin so bad, one thing for sure now is that the baby is human, she has the strangest heart beat I ever heard. And as it were we made sure the baby was cleaned off the best, I learned that Kamisha used to be a nurses aid and was studying to be a nurse, it wasn't a class that was offered in high school, she became one on her own, then this vampyre thing happened.

It was strange to see where the baby had latched on to Stevie Rae's breast was no coppering, I checked to see if she got any in her mouth, I'm not sure if blood is ok or bad for a baby. I had to send Raphraim after four more bags of blood, she drank the first for like it was Zoey's brown pop, she only drank two of the new bags, I put the other two bags in the fully stocked diaper bag Raphraim brought with him. I kept the young boy as busy as a beaver so we wouldn't have a fainting incident again, he did it without question, I think he will be a good father, the only thing I worry about is his being a Raven during the day, and to be truthful I think they both will make good parents. Yes, they have to get passed the playing stage, most young people love to play house, but as soon as it becomes real to them, one or both will decide that it's time to bail on the child, I don't see this happening with them. It's a tragedy that this happens in this age, especially with the high divorce rate today, you'd think someone would clue in and fix this. I had made my mind up and help her all I could with this, well and the baby, and to start out with we wouldn't wait on Raphraim, so I took her to the ladder, I took the baby as she went down the hole, this is when we heard a loud bang.

I could make out the sound of the Oklahoma wind, as I handed down the child I could feel the darkness coming, it was a chill that filled my bones, and there was an emptiness. I think Stevie Rae could feel it also as I closed the door on her horrified face, like I said before I didn't have a death wish, but I knew I could help and I was old, she had to protect the child, and I would even if it meant I had to sacrifice myself. I then stood up and started to center myself, then I called upon all the power of my ancestors blood, I could feel my body quake as she came around the corner. I could see her regal beauty and the damage that darkness had done to her, she had nothing but the darkness anymore, her skin had been made so pale it looked white, there was a grayness to her cheeks and in places on her skin. Her eye's were set in a purplish hue, her lips were blue with the same purplish hue, and her eye's were filled with blackness, no longer could you see any color there, darkness was killing her and in time would be dead as most whom use darkness as a partner. Even as she spoke you could hear it in her voice, " This is perfect, I now have my pawn to draw your granddaughter out. Over your fervor to protect that which doesn't deserve it, you have handed yourself over to me Sylvia."

I wanted to yell out, ' shut up your mouth spawn of the evil darkness,' but instead I calmed myself and replied, " In the end all evil feeds upon itself, even if you kill us all, you will be ended by your desire to serve darkness."

She gave me a look of disdain as she asked, " And what do you know of evil?"

I gave a lite sigh and shook my head as I replied, " I've lived with a people that has seen great evil, I know that my state excepts me now, but as a race we've all experienced this in it's purest form. So don't lecture me on not knowing evil, and my ancestor have experienced it directly, but you know this, after all we were the ones that put your lover in the ground."

" Your ancestors are mere children to the power of true darkness, he is far more powerful then your petty ancestors."

" But I know the truth about them, and would never turn my back on them as you have. I remember a very wise woman made an oath to me, whatever happened to that woman. I think she had to much power put on her shoulder's, and as they say power corrupts, did this power corrupt you. I'm not willing to give up anything in my life, but you gave up everything, even your word, and a woman's word is everything. But in truth you sacrifice for nothing, and I sacrifice all, in the end who has the most power here?"

She then came down to my level even if not really to the ground, I could see how my mere words hurt her, maybe not my words so much as the truth of them, or maybe it was just coming down off her high horse. I wasn't stupid, I immediately put up my defenses, I could see her flinch as she felt this, she flicked out her fingers toward me and I could feel her darkness coming against my ancestors. I knew in time I would get tired, so used a simple draining spell of my ancestors, as I did this she screamed out, " YOU DARE THINK YOU CAN TRADE BLOW WITH ME?"

I stared her down and asked a simple question, " Was that simple ancient magic to much for you?"

She almost spit out the next words, " How dare you!"

I then threw up a surrounding absorption spell, I could feel all the darkness that hit it, she was already weakened so I could really see the drain in her, I knew this was from earlier when darkness had fed off her. Her perfect beauty was transformed into a monster, her pale skin went white as if she had no blood, so I had to figure if I kept this up she would be done for it in the end. She would waist away if she kept up her attack, did she know this, or would her anger take her over, so I sent another round of draining magic at her, and I could keep this up unless I got tired. As she threw another round of darkness at me I could see how it drained her, Stevie Rae had sweat blood, with a normal vampyre they sweat like normal humans, but with Neferet it was a dark tar like substance. So this time I decided to flex my ancestors muscle, I sent the flux of my ancestors, we use it to walk with our ancestors, so I had to wonder how this would effect her, she seemed to just throw it off. But then I noticed that her beautiful green dress turn dark, and on the floor a trail of very dark droplets hit the ground, I had known that I had mortally wounded her. She started to back away, I moved forward and I threw another absorption spell, all she could do was scream, and with this a gray smoke seemed to fill the place.

I had lived my entire life in Oklahoma, they had always said never go into smoke, I didn't even know if I had killed her, so I had to go in just to make sure. As I did every alarm bell in my head went off, but I ignored them, then the hairs on the back of my neck went up, but did I listen, no, my stomach churned, but I had to make sure. I would have told anyone not to be stupid and listen to those alarms, and in the dark gray cloud I never seen the hand that grabbed me by the neck. I could do nothing, it had me trapped, my elbow went up into it's stomach, then my foot hit it's foot, lastly I brought my fist into it's groin, all he did was grunt. Once he had his arm around my waist he was able to put his other around my chest, and once my straggle was over she came down to my level. The first thing she said was, " Bind her mouth, we don't need her spouting anymore ancient magic."

I knew my life was over as I saw the dark tendrils come out and go around my mouth, her skin had gone to almost transparent, and at a distance it would seem white as freshly bleached linen. If you had seen a B-rated vampyre film, she looked just like one of the villains, but she was alive and standing in front of me. I knew she was very close to death, all I could hope for was that Zoey would continue my attack, as I looked around I saw all my ancestors there, so I knew I had to make up my mind. This was easy for me, I would give them all a rallying cry to remember, so at that moment I put out my arms and excepted my fate, and I willing walked into the arm's of my ancestors.

Zoey

We only had a short distance to walk back to the depot, as we made the turn down into the depot, she seemed to appear right in front of me. She wasn't as she had been, she look just as old, but in a way newer, the light around her seemed to glow as if she was entering a new world. It was like seeing the goddess that first time, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, except it wasn't my goddess, it was my Grandma, what was I to do. I dropped down to my knee's and cried out, " Oh Noooo! I can't do it, no, no, no, no, oh my goddess it can't be, please God Noooo!"

Aphrodite then came to my side, and she seemed to ask in an almost kind voice, " grandma is dead isn't she?"

I felt the tears going down my face, how could it be so, my Mom dead, my mentor my mortal enemy, and now my rock has passed into eternity, how could I live any longer, what use was it, she kept on winning. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe she was gone, I wouldn't believe it, I willed myself to move, I moved but it really wasn't me, I was more like a machine then Zoey Redbird. Stark put has arm around me to steady me as we moved, my legs moved but I knew one false step and I would be on the ground, Aphrodite and he supported me until we got there. Darius then moved to my front to make sure no one got in my way, Darius was a good warrior to have, he didn't allow anything to get in my way that may trip me. As we got closer I could feel the shear darkness of her, we moved with deliberateness toward that darkness, then came the growling from our animal horde we had with us. But there was a greater growling that came from the building, and since I had my animals around me, I had to wonder what that noise could be.

San and his warriors then spread out to investigate the noise, then came the loudest growl I had ever heard, Sam then lunged forward, seconds later a young boy with blonde hair came flying out. I could see Sam chasing after him, I could see some of the warriors following him while other seemed to circle the building, I then pointed a shaky hand as I saw her and yelled, " GET HER, KILL HER!"

But before they could react she just seemed to float away, I couldn't allow her to get away with this, I would allow her to get away with this, so I said, " Spirit come to me."

And as it had always obeyed me my spirit came to me, so I pointed my shaky hand and said, " She must pay for this go to her and serve up the goddess justice, show her that we aren't going to take this anymore."

I felt my spirit leave my body, I had to go to my knee's in the weakness, then I could hear her scream, then a voice came to me. _Daughter she gave her life for you, do you want to cheapen what she did for you, Neferet owes me many life debts, she owes you none as of yet, yes she owes three among you a life debt. _So then I whispered to my spirit, " Spirit come back to me, we can't take from her what isn't owed to me."

The spirit seemed to whirl around me, and it seemed to be talking to me, so I asked it a simple question, " What is it that you would like?"

Then as the goddess, it spoke to me. _We are your true ancestors, we know darkness when we see it, she can't be allowed to exist, her existence is an abomination to the existence of life itself, we feed life so if exists, she uses us to make what she will, we can't allow this. _I had to reply as I knew my hands were tied, " She owes me no life debt, would you have me go against my own goddess."

_No goddess, we only ask for our revenge, we don't ask you to send us, we only ask you allow us to go, we will take care of her ourselves. _As they spoke this last part it was as if they gained power, and I had to wonder if I allowed this if I would become like Neferet, then I had a surprising realization, they called me goddess. Could it be possible that they saw me as a goddess, I was no goddess, it hadn't even been a year since I was worried about a geometry test, now spirits were calling me goddess. I then said in a strong voice, " No, it's the goddesses decision not mine."

Stark had a look like damn she just lost her mine as my spirit started to settle down, he then blinked his eye's as he asked, " Why did you do that Z?"

My sorrow filled me as I replied in a sob, " Nyx told me not to, Grandma gave her life willingly, but I so wanted to kill her, she owes me no debt here though."

He seemed to understand as he nodded his head, then a silver flash caught my eye's, it seemed to dig deeply into my left cheek bone, a second later I was on the ground, with Stark standing over me. It couldn't have been more then four or five inch's long, we all saw Darius jog over and retrieve whatever it was. As he replaced it in his belt, Aphrodite then said, " That's my man, she's never going to forget that scare anytime soon, but at least we'll have some idea of where to look for her."

He jogged over to me and said, " Priestess allow me to pick you up, she threw it at you, but she had no idea of how to use it."

I had to say, " Yeah, just like when we just attacked her."

Then I heard that strange growling again, so I then went through the door that Neferet had broken down. I knew I really didn't want to see what I was going to see. As we entered the room, we saw Stevie Rae down on all fours, he head was snapping around wildly. She was protect a small lump on the floor, the small crumpled form was very familiar as I moved closer. It didn't take long to see her beautiful black hair, it was more like salt and pepper now, but it was still beautiful to me. I cried out as I crumpled to the floor myself, " Oh goddess please allow my Grandma to be alive."

Stark was johnny on the spot, and I never hit the floor, he was well practiced as my guardian, he barely caught me before I hit. Darius was there in an instant, he had his hand under my arm and helping me up. Aphrodite and Sylcilia then ran to my Grandma, Stevie Rae would allow Aphrodite by, but Sylcilia was another story. And all the animals prowling around, oh hell no. so I whispered to Stark, " Stark go tell Sam to go change, I have to have time to talk to Stevie Rae."

He lifted his head and in guy short order he yelled, " ZOEY NEEDS TIME WITH HER GRANDMA AND FRIEND, SAM SHE ASKS THAT YOU GO OUTSIDE AND CHANGE FORM, SYLCILIA TAKE THE THREE NEW VAMPYRES ASIDE, THEN SHE CAN RELAX STEVIE RAE."

I then looked at him, he meant well, but why had I whispered to him if I wanted him to do that, Sylcilia then nodded her head and moved the three new red vampyres just outside the door, the animals then followed Sam out. Both Darius and Stark then moved me to her body, as we got closer I said, " Julius only Sister Mary Angelia will be allowed close to her, please take the rest of your warriors out with Sylcilia. Don't worry Stevie Rae would never hurt the sister, she actually likes the sister." He then grunted as he pushed the nuns and his warriors out the door.

I then had to look at stark as I knew I wasn't supporting myself, I could hear how wearing this was on me by how weak my voice had become, " Can you lay me next to my Grandma please."

He had a very worried look on his face as he did as I asked, I fully intended to yell at Stevie Rae, but as he laid me down, my arm's automatically wrapped around her waist. Her body was so strange and cold already, I kissed her on the mouth, I was just trying to breath life back into her lifeless body, anything just to bring her back, so what happened next, you guest it, I began to snot cry. And I mean really heave snot crying, not you run of the mill snot crying. My life had changed from that day forward, what was I going to do without her, she was my rock and strong place to go to. I could barely see through my tears to see that Stevie Rae and Aphrodite had joined me, even tough old Sylcilia had gone to her knee's crying. Would this be enough to shatter my soul again, I had to figure that was a yes, so what was I to do. I felt the darkness creeping in on me, this was a different darkness then Neferet had all around her, this was a creeping darkness that swallowed you up.

So what was it that caused this, Heath, Jack, Linda, and now Sylvia Redbird, this darkness filled you with despair, I could feel it killing my happiness. Could I ever smile again, was there anything to smile about anymore, would I become one of those women that never smiled. I knew in the end I could never allow myself to be shattered again, if for no one then for Stark, but I couldn't fight against this darkness. It drew me into my own darkness, then my vision seemed to change, everything had color, but at the same time was absent of color. It was as if a grayness had settled over the world, even in my spirit I could feel it's change. Then I took hold of myself and waited for something to change, make me normal again, anything, I just had to know I was doing the right thing. Then the full realization hit me, my whole world had collapsed in on me, I realized that I had nothing left to give, so I surrendered to this despair.

Stark

She snapped her finger by her ear for the fourth time, then Aphrodite said, " For shits sake, not again, well at least she's responding to my snap, I guess another trip to the island of women isn't called for."

I kissed her on her warm forehead, I had to look up at Sam and say, " I don't think it's happening Sam."

He shook his head as he said, " We have to get her body to a place of power, or her spirit will not rest."

Sister Mary Angelia whom had been praying the entire time spoke up, " We could take her to the abbey, I think Stark is right though, she's just lost to much, she really lost the last thing she could, it's now up to her to come back. Even you have to admit that's a lot of people to loose in your life."

He then gave her a gentle smile as Stevie Rae popped in with, " Why not move the both of them y'all, ya know what I mean, she needs the good help of the sisters and all, and y'all need a place of power and all."

If Raphraim wasn't there I could just kiss Stevie Rae, it was the only way, Sam then seemed to grunt and growl, it was as if he was commanding his troops. They then moved in with a stretcher, I helped them move the two of them onto it, then we moved the two of them to one of the trucks. As her guardian I explained that I had to go with her, and Sylcilia as her warrior would always have to be close, with the final statement to the crew, before we left, " Thomas your place is with Stevie Rae, I'm sure this is different though, we'll take care of her, now just go about as if there isn't anything wrong with Z."

Thomas nodded his head as we drove off, as we drove Sylcilia just had one question, " Do you think we should call Sgiach?"

I could see the extreme worry in her face, she then pulled out her phone and started to text, she was as fast as any young kid I had ever seen text before in my life. I could hear her grunt and groan as she did this, I had to figure that it wasn't going well, the good sister rode with us and said, " You may want to explain about the High Council."

Her face even got more distressed, she then groaned and started to text a new message, then my phone chimed, I knew whom it was even before I looked. But I still had to look at it, and sure enough it was whom I thought it was, the message read; Stark. Is it true that none of the council members can be found? Sgiach. I was going to text back yeah, but I knew this would only make her mad, so instead I text-ed back; Sgiach. Apparently so, one has been found, but the others are believed dead, all Bro's of Erebus have been called to protect the last. Stark! Sylcilia phone then chimed and of course she looked at it, her eye's got as big as silver dollars as she said, " I don't believe it."

The good sister then asked, " What does it mean that, I'm leaving my island?"

My response probably said it all, " WHAT!"

But Sylcilia replied to her question anyways, " Sgiach only leave her island at a time of great need, as in that all vampyres are under attack. When she does this our world as most of yours will be shaken up."

One of the warriors that sat with us to protect her then said, " The queen of all warriors is leaving her island, that means all warriors will be drawn to her. The last time this happened was during the time of the black plague, most vampyre lore comes from that time. Our world is still reeling from that, it is when the dark times started, and the brotherhood got stronger."

With his comment I had to figure that all hell was about to break loose, and Zoey had to pick this time to do her little sleeping act, well I can't blame her, the sister was right, that was just to much to loose. I could feel that her soul wasn't shattered, plus her eye's were reactive, but what I couldn't know was what was keeping her this time. In my mind I had a hope that they would come here and do that Mojo they did, you know so they could help her again. But in truth they were probably going straight to the High Council, or at least the one remaining council member.

As we pulled into the abbey we could see another truck there, it was full of old ladies, the four warriors, Sylcilia, and I then carried the stretcher to the grotto. The old women brought out small tree branches, then seemed to sing as they wove them together. Some undressed Sylvia and put her in white buck skins, and as this happened a third group seemed to wash her body in smoke. I have to say that I was a little uncomfortable during all this, but I was Zoey's guardian and couldn't leave. The good sister tried to hide my eye's, not that they would ever be taken off Zoey, but I did try to help them get around her body. I mean I had seen Zoey naked, what made me uncomfortable was seeing her Grandma nude.

The a very big old car drove up, it had to be out of the nineties, a group of very old men then got out, then they pulled out drums out of the trunk of the car. As they got ready, the four warriors, Sylcilia and I move Zoey and Sylvia's body to the wooden frame, then the women started to chant as they wrapped her body in something. The drums sound in a rhythmic tone with them, and the old men started to sing, as they did this the women seemed to paint symbols all over Sylvia's body. Well it seemed that they paint on her, as it touched her there was nothing, then a symbol would appear, it was weird to watch, and the sounds seemed to draw you in. The drum beat began melodic as it filled you up, they all cried as they danced around her, it was almost as if they were crying to her spirit.

Then the warriors started to chant and dance outside the ring, tears were running down everyone's face, it was as if their queen had just died, then I knew their queen had just died. It had been the force of her spirit that had touched them all, then the twenty or so warrior outside the circle started to throw up dirt, it was like they were in full remorse because of he lose. Sam was crying the loudest of all the warriors, and he was the only one allowed close to her body, I had to think he had a thing for her. I have to say, even though I didn't know the man, I was scared for him, if he loved her that much, I kind of knew what he was going through.

Finally one of the woman came forward with a buck skin bag, they very slowly and very carefully put Sylvia's body into the bag, then the women started to sew it up. The entire time they were wailing, and two ladies painted symbols on the outside of the bag. And they did all this with Zoey holding on to her for her dear life. At that very moment I don't know how, but I knew my Zoey was coming back to me, I easily watched this because it came to me from deep down.

So Sylcilia and I stood next to her even after everyone had left, well Sam really didn't leave, more like ran off, I think I saw him change in the distance. Damien came out after awhile, he sat next to Zoey and cried deep dark bitter sobs, I think I understood his pain. We all knew who had done this, we all knew she deserved death for this, but we also knew she just kept getting away with it. So as everyone had finally left and only Sylcilia and I stood there, I couldn't keep it in anymore, I dropped down to my knee's and started to cry.

You see I wasn't crying for Zoey, I knew she was coming back. No I cried for my rival Heath, I cried for Damien's lover Jack, I cried for what she had done to us red vampyres, I cried for all the kids she made into monsters, I cried for her mother that realized she loved her to late. And I cried the hardest for my love Grandma, a truly great woman she felt the need to wipe this greatness out of the world. Then My mind went to the ones I didn't really know, I cried for Professor Nolan, and that ass hole Loren Blake that tricked Zoey into giving him her virginity. Then I came around to someone I knew Anastasia Langford, and then back to the woman most would call Sylvia Redbird.


	17. Chapter 17

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

When the spirit world come to life

Chapter 17

Sylvia

I was very happy with what had been dealt to me in my ancestral world, I felt like a little girl again, I could easily run, hide and play again. My true love was here Anthony Redbird was here, he made love to me as if he were just a young child himself. I did have to disturb his happiness as I told him of what happened to his daughter Linda, and how we knew that she had gone to the realm of the goddess and not the happy hunting grounds. Then I told him about Zoeybird, he was very angry at how his daughter was treated by Neferet, but was very happy for his little Granddaughter that he had never really met. And of course I had to end it with how I died, his spirit wanted to take revenge upon her, but then I had to tell him just how strong his Granddaughter really was. We then played and made sweet love, and made a new home for ourselves, in the great happy hunting ground time evolves at a pace that you wish, and you are never bothered by the great spirit. My Father and Mother were there, my husband was there because he had became a great blood brother of the tribe, I never asked him for this, but he did it for me, and it made me very happy.

He loved me so much that he was willing to go through the ordeal, we only had two children together before the spirit of the river took him way, I always hated that that flood had taken him away from me. I had hoped that my son would be here, but his spirit had already moved on, in fact Tony had told me that he had almost given up on waiting and move on himself. My son had died so young, that's why he was inpatient on moving on, he had been six when he and his father had died, Linda was only four, I had to raise my daughter and run the farm for myself. I could only put them into the ground, I never had the time to properly morn their lose. I don't think Linda had ever forgiven me for that, in fact this is what I think we had in between us. I had never told Zoey or her brother they had a different father from her older sister, she had done this just because I didn't like him. I can remember that time very well, having to run a farm, keep an eye on my roving daughter, and raise a granddaughter at the same time, I was so happy when Zoey's father had offered to marry Linda. They stayed married just four years, he was such a good man, why she cheeped on him I have no idea, she made a lot of mistakes in her life. John Heffer was just another in a long line, I think her hatred of me had made a lot of her decisions, oh I don't even want to think of that man at this happy time.

I should have told the truth about him far before now, and in the end she'll never know, Zoeybird would be surprised that her father had never missed a birthday for her first eight years. He gave up because Linda would never give his gifts to her, well at least she didn't have any children by her new mistake, Linda was very good at making mistakes. I don't know why, but my spirit didn't seem to be able to settle with the normal world, it was as if the past and the presence were getting mixed up. My other two grand-kids were with that thing, neither of them understand the old ways, and through him they will never learn of the true way. So I had many regrets when I left the world of the living, of course my biggest was leaving Zoeybird to fend for herself. " That's what I came to speak to you about."

I looked up to see the great Father standing in front of me, I gave him my gentle smile as I said, " Great Father it is a pleasure to see you."

He smile his very loving smile at me, when he did this it seemed to go into you and fill you, it was an overwhelming feeling of warmth and love, and when he spoke it was as if he spoke just to you, it was as if he spoke you your spirit. " Daughter the balance of the world has been upset, and it seems that it is coming from your granddaughter."

The fear within me over shadowed the love I felt, in all I had don't here I had thought about her, but it was only this moment that I had thought of how my death may have effected her. So I asked the easy question, " Did my death shatter her soul, do you want me to help her get back to her body?"

His smile disappeared with concern as he replied with, " We do not interfere with another's life, especially one of our own kind, and Zoey's soul is not shattered, she has sunk deeply into her despair, she has no idea of how to swim to the surface, her despair will never break. Nothing can ever remove that pain, what she must learn is how to rise above it, learn how to exist with it, and without you. I fear sending you may deepen her despair, so you must find away to speak with her and find the truth, make her see that she must swim to the surface."

I had no idea of what he really wanted me to do, but I knew as he spoke it was the truth, and I had to find away to help her live with my death, he smiled at me as if he knew what I was thinking. And as he did this everything seemed to desolve in front of me, then I was standing in front of a very lovely woman in front of a very lovely garden. Her eye's caught the sight of me as they seemed to wrinkle up at the corners, she then asked me, " Sylvia are you ready to enter my garden?"

I knew I had more important things to do so I shook my head as I replied, " No I can't something is wrong with Zoeybird."

Her smile then faded, she moved her hand so I could now see her, I could see her laying with my corpse. The very lovely woman then said with an almost remorseful tone, " She's all locked up inside, all I can see is a grayness, and I can feel that apart of her has died, she's trapped in that state. Yes I feel she can survive, but I also feel remorse, if she doesn't come out of it she will die in less than a month. Stark is trying to protect her, but things are happening that are out of his control. I feel she has gone to far this time, I've never known one this full with darkness as Neferet has except into her life. I must help Titus to move, so I will help you into her mind, but I can't promise that I'll be able to help you out, you may have to find you own way out."

My fear was more for my Zoeybird so I nodded my head with ease, then it seemed that I moved through time and space, and it seemed to engulf me, most would have thought this would take a long time, but it seemed to happen in the blink of the eye. I then stood in a field, but something was off about it, it seemed to have a grayness to it, and yet also nothing seemed to move. I had no idea of where I was so I did the next best thing, I called out to her, " Zoey, Zoey Redbird." It then seemed that I heard giggling, so I said, " Come here child, your Grandma wants to see you."

A little familiar girls voice then answered, " Your not my Grandma, she died."

Her voice seemed upset as well as sad as she spoke, I remembered this very well, so I answered with the truth, " I know u-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa, I've come to show you I'm fine and happy where I've gone."

" I can never be happy again, a great darkness came and squished me."

" Hun?" I knew I had to be sounding like one of the kids I so loved, so I corrected myself, " I mean whatever do you mean?"

At first I thought I heard a whimper, then she seemed to talk out of breathe, " My yard kept getting smaller and smaller, but all I wanted to do was play, the more I tried to play the more it seemed to get smaller, but then something happened and my walls fell in on me." I was about to ask another question when she added, " I should have stayed in the garden, I should have never came home, she's been doing this to me a long time now."

I knew I had just saw the garden she was speaking of so I asked, " Do you exactly what happened Honey?"

She replied in a very small weak voice, " I was allowed to play in the entire garden, I knew at was still wrong, but we had to wait upon her. I gladly came back to her, but then she put me back in that very small box, I was so happy just to be home, and at first the box did seem to get bigger. Then she left me with just enough room to play jacks, I couldn't even stand up, I love jacks, but do you know how boring jacks can get after a time. I was losing it, I know this might seem strange for a memory, but I was really losing it and about to burst out, then without warning it just happened a day, my walls came in and squished me."

I had an idea of what this was, it was her happiness, for some reason Zoeybird was shutting down fun in her life, my death had caused her to shut it out completely. We couldn't exist without happiness in our life even if it was just a memory, there are many parts of the whole being, but you shut off one and it's like only being half of a person. It was strange how such a small thing could effect ones life, and I figured I had to show her how to live again, how to except her happiness, and make her know that it will never be the same. So I figured I would start with the basics. In this we would find a way for her to live with it, so I said, " Zoeybird would you like me to tell you a story?"

A very young girl then came out, it was Zoey at nine, a lot happened that year, she had asked me if she could love a boy or was that impossible for a girl to do with a boy. I remembered how much I laughed at that question, shortly after that she brought Heath to my farm for the first time, he was such a nice boy, and I had to hope that Zoey would find love in him. Maybe that wasn't such a good thing to wish for, because it happened, and she didn't realize it until his death, I could see how much she loved Stark, but I also knew she was supplanting her love for Heath on him. The little girl clapped her hands saying in an excited voice, " I love your stories Grandma."

" As I love telling them to you u-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa, now come and sit so I can tell you one."

She giggled as she asked, " Which one will you tell me Grandma?"

" I don't know Zoeybird, what do you want to hear?"

" Oh Grandma tell me the one about the fox and the corn meal."

" Oh u-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa now sit still as I tell you the story."

She clapped her hands as I started the story, but as she would do, she crossed her legs and listen carefully to my story, she knew my stories so well that she would correct me where I made mistakes, the old Cherokee legends were great to hear. I watched her to see if I got a reaction, but as I did they never seemed to be complete, the first story had drawn her in, the second had her by her ears, what was missing was her genuine smile I was so used to. I then told the story she loved the most, the maiden and the lost lover, she loved this story so much it always got a smile, yet again I got everything except her smile. We were having a wonderful time, I had to wonder what I was doing wrong, as I closed the last story I had to wonder if I could get through to her, it had reminded me of all the times we sat in my living room. Then I had to remember how we always seemed to get interrupted by her brother or sister, they would want to play one of the many games I had for them, Zoey enjoyed the games, but never as much as she loved my stories.

Then I remembered how they fought sometimes, and it came to me, I was using the right thing, but at the wrong time, she was nine here, that had to be the clue. I was afraid for Zoeybird, I mean she was so different from her siblings, she loved easier, she knew more without really knowing, so I had to really think of how to start my fifth story. Zoey then asked, " What's wrong Grandma, why did you stop."

" Oh Zoeybird I'm trying to come up with an extra special story just for you and me."

" Can it have a Princess in it Grandma?"

That was it, it came to me, I could remember the last time she had asked me that question, Zoey was nine and I took her out on the bluff, we laid an old quilt down, I called it our quilt, so I had to smile at her as I nodded my head. Then I began our story, " Once upon a time there was a very beautiful Indian Princess, but she was no normal Princess, she was a great and powerful Princess. This story starts before she realized just how powerful she was, you see she was only nine and had a fairy god mother."

Zoey quickly chimed in with, " She was nine like me."

I nodded my head as I gave her a loving smile, " Her older sister and younger brother were very jealous because they didn't have a fairy god mother. And her mother didn't understand their relationship, so the fairy god mother had to make special time for the Princess."

Little Zoey's face then went blank, and I had to wonder if I had taken the correct path, it did feel right to me so I continued, " Their time got less and less, this was the mothers doing, and of course the fairy god mother couldn't interfere, so she had to do something special, so she told the mother to bring out the Princess at a special time and hour."

I could see the tears running down her face, and she was blowing snot as she would call it, I wasn't sure that making her cry was the smart thing to do. But my stomach was telling me that I was on the right path, " So the fairy god mother took her to her favorite place on top a very nice hill, in her most favorite garden, they sat out on her favorite quilt. The fairy god mother brought all her foods, and they sat and told each other many stories. They held hands and made the time stop so they could tell everyone they had on their minds, then they wrapped each other in the quilt and watched the sunset. Neither of them wanted this time to end, but with all good things there has to be an end, the good fairy god mother always wanted to take the little Princess back out there and talk and talk again, but she never got the chance."

She started to ball, and we had on a full blown snot cry as she said, " Grs. Grandma, ta, that was you and ma, me. Ya, you tracked me."

I kissed her on the forehead as I whispered, " Did I u-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa, wasn't that day as special to you as it was for me."

" B, but we won't ever ha, have that a, a, again."

" Yes we will, Zoeybird it's all part of you, it's all part of me, we can never go back, but we will always have this memory, as well as other happy memories that we share together. Would you have me die a second death in your mind, and never remember all our good times together."

It was right then that a sun ray seemed to hit me, it rose and seemed to wash her face with the rays, and it seemed to glow with the power of a thousand suns. Then I stood in front of the goddess Nyx once again, she was beaming as if I had saved the world, and she said right to me, Sylvia you have done very well."

I smiled back at her as I asked, " Am I done then?"

She nodded her head as she replied, " Yes, Zoey will soon wake, the grayness is rapidly disappearing."

" Then I would take my leave and return to the happy hunting ground."

" Sylvia?"

" I have to get back to my husband, he needs me so much."

" Sylvia I thought you knew, you can stay in the happy hunting ground you can stay as long as you want, but once you stepped out you could never return until you died another death. You have to be reborn and die again Sylvia."

I was very sad that I may never see my husband again, but then I asked a very simple question, " Will I see my Zoeybird again?" She nodded her with a very loving smile, so I then asked her, " Where do I go to get reborn?"

She spread out her arm's and we walked into my new life.

Zoey

I think it was about three in the afternoon when I woke up, I could see that the sun was high, but they had a tent thingie over me. I was holding onto a strange bundle, so I wiped my forehead as it seemed very hot, we don't feel temperatures like most, it was mostly a reaction to the heat. I looked around me and saw that I was in Mary's Grotto, I had to wonder how I had gotten here. So I tried to think back, as I continued to do this I saw a lump very near me, so I moved to better see it. Then a voice from over my shoulder said, " He never leaves your side, as I always guard you while he sleeps."

I turned my head and had to squint to see Sylcilia sitting in a lawn chair, she was wearing one of the nuns night gowns, but instead about asking about that I asked, " How did I get here?"

She smiled and pointed to the lump as she replied, " Stark, four of your Grandmothers warriors, and I carried you here."

" How long have I been out?"

She leaned down and replied, " Six day and just over eleven hours."

" Ah hell, so we haven't kicked Neferet out of the House or Night?"

" She's no longer there, the twins are sharing duties as High Priestess until you are ready to take up your roll, and we've asked Lenobra to run it in your stead."

" Wait they want me to run the House of Night, but I'm just a kid."

She gave me a wary smile as she replied, " The High Council feels that it is only proper, they understand the problems this may present, and in all that you have done they both agree with this. They feel that you have definitely met the requirements to be a High Priestess, even though you can't be recognized until they convene a full meeting of the council first."

" Have they lost their- wait. Did you just say both of them?"

" Yes Thantos and Sgiach have claimed control of the council until a new one can be elected."

" Whoa, this is getting bizarre, did you just say Sgiach was on the High Council?"

" Yes Zoey Redbird, the queen felt that we are now under a state siege, when no other member of the High Council could be found, she left her island and declare a state of siege, even though we do not know where it comes from."

I then remembered the tunnels, so I had to just ask, " Damien and the twins, are they all right?"

She gave me a smile that said things were better as she replied. " Shawnee has returned to the House of Night to do her duty, Damien has regained some of his eye sight. Erin was the worst of your friends hurt, Beverly and Sister Mary Angelia have been taking care of her here, she knows and has recognized that she is a High Priestess in training. The two of them have worked tirelessly to get her up and walking on crutches, she may loose a toe or two, she is a strange one, she is more concerned how she'll look in sandals. I would think it would be of more concern how she walks, her left leg has had problems, and Beverly is worried that the muscles may have been to damaged, of course we will truly only know over time."

I then blurted out in a happy tone, " But she's alive!"

Her eye's then wrinkled up as she nodded her head and replied, " We only lost ten."

" Whom did we loose?"

" My six clansmen that you barely knew, we sent their bodies back to the island of Skye. The ones you did know ShannonCompton, then we had the one named Venus, and she died next to one you personally knew as Erik Night."

I then interjected, " Erik's dead?"

She nodded her head as if what she had just said brought her pain, and I knew she was worried because I once loved him, I felt that I would feel more with his death to, but I didn't and had to wonder why. Then I got a little confused as I did the mat, then I asked," I'm no mathematician, but that only adds up to nine."

" Our last fallen hero I fear to tell you, we lost you because of it just six days and over eleven hours ago because of it."

" Whom could affect me so-" Then it came to me, the bundle I was holding onto, this wasn't a bundle at all, it was a Cherokee burial bag, what I was holding was my Grandma's corpse. I could hold I back, I started to cry, big snot tears, Sister Mary Angelia came over and gave me one of those travel packs of tissue. It looked mysteriously like one of the ones that Stark started to carry around with him, she then took me into her arm's and started to rub my back, just like Stark would always do. I then laughed as I said, " You've been talking to Stark."

She laughed and kissed my forehead, well Stark would have made it on my lips, but I think I was ok with that. Then a tiny girl walked be in a french bikini, her corn silk hair was unmistakeable, so I had to look at her and say, " Aphrodite don't you have any shame, these are nuns."

She gave me her perfect sneer, she had to practice that while no one was looking as she said, " I'm trying to get a tan before my wedding for craps sake, sorry sister, no offense."

No she didn't have any shame or sense about her, but I had to ask, " Why aren't you with Stevie Rae and her baby?"

" Oh please, she holds her, then Raphraim holds her, uncle Dragon get his turn, little old aunt Aphrodite is just thrown by the way side. She ain't ever going to learn how to walk with everyone holding her like that, at least they bring her over hear, then I get my time, well after all the sisters hold her. I bet she only learns to crawl at like forty."

" Aphrodite ain't isn't a word, you have to watch your language around her."

" Damien want ta be."

" Good English is always good grammar."

" See, the proper way to say that was nice grammar, oh for shits sake I'm turning into Damien."

Sister Mary Angelia half laughed and said in a stern voice, " Aphrodite! Language please."

" Sorry again sister."

I had to laugh, it was a good belly laugh, it felt so good, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed like that, so I had to stop and remember, yes it was at least four years ago. I then shook Stark, he then made a grumbly noise, so I lifted the tarp he laid under, not that I would even sleep another wink, but I had to make him know I was back. I mean I just woke up from six days and eleven hours of that, as I crawled under I had to just say one more thing, " Thank you sister for all your help."

She then said with a gentle voice, " No problem daughter, we'll always be best friends, just like your Grandmother and I were."

I enjoyed it when she called me daughter, it made my heart hurt as I remembered that I would never hear my Grandma call me u-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa again, but I had to confess to her, " I like it when you call me that."

" You and Erin can return to the House of Night this evening, and your Grandmother told me to say one thing to you if she was lost, lets see if I say it right. U-we-tsi-a-ge-hu-tsa I'll ever ge watching over you."

I kinda choked out, " It'll be nice to go home."

" Zoey?"

I knew that came from Sylcilia, so I replied, " Yes Sylcilia?"

" The house has really changed."

" How so?"

" Stevie Rae save a total of seventeen children, Lenobra has saved a total of nineteen, counting the four old and four new red fledglings. There are only forty-four students, and with the remainder that only comes to a grand total of forty-eight, oh Thantos said you could rejoin your old classes."

" Where are all the rest, I mean what happened to them?"

" None of us really know, even though Dragon thinks Neferet has killed them all."

I lifted up the tarp, she then nodded her head, so I asked, " So what's the High Council doing about it?"

She gave me a wary smile as she replied, " They have put out a general call for all our students to return, Sgiach has issue a general warrant for Neferet to answer the claims. But with all that has gone on we're under strength, so Sgiach has don't the unthinkable, she has issued the general out to all sources. She's included in her order to the Vatican, the way she has done this and the way most vampyres feel about them, she may have signed her own death warrant."

I put the tarp down and asked, " Can you send out an order that the High Priestess Zoey Redbird has also approved this order?"

" Yes, but they may come after you to then."

" I wish it, she put her neck out for us, I can do the same for her, besides, what's one more enemy to me, I am the daughter of night after all."

" As you wish my High Priestess."

She didn't imply it, but I could hear the smile in her voice, then I felt his lips on my neck, he then whispered to me, " Z, you did good." Then he put his arm's around my waist as he also added, " How's my little queen?"

I kissed his hand and whispered back, " Not all right, but I think I'll survive, was her funeral really cool?"

He kissed my ear as he whispered, " Don't really know, I was a little concerned about another person right then."

I then turned to him, I took his face and started to kiss it all over, he was right there with me returning kiss for kiss, and with this I started to remember all the good times I had with her. And in my despair I so wanted to do what we hadn't done in a long while, so I undid his pants, he then said to me, " Z my control issues."

I kissed him on the mouth as I said, " I need this ok."

He didn't say one more thing, we just did what I really needed right then, and yes it might be a long time in between our next time, so we had to make this our best yet, and I don't know if it was time or the time, but it was.


	18. Chapter 18

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

When the world comes crashing in

Chapter 18

Zoey

Stark didn't sleep much, not that I could, all I wanted was to be comforted by him, I may have need him a little selfishly, as we got up I could see that a SUV from the House of Night was already here. I walked into the abbey, and as I did I was accosted by Damien and Stevie Rae, we were hugging and kissing, then Dragon came up to me and asked, " Priestess I have been lacks in my duty, what will you do with me?"

I looked at him, then kissed him on the cheek as replied, " Dragon Langford you have lost more then most in this fight, but I see the greatness in you, I would have you train the Sons of Erebus that we have so lost, and be the guard of the Tulsa House of Night."

He bowed his head as he moved away, I then asked, " Well I heard we have a great new addition to the House of Night, may I see the child Anastasia?"

Stevie Rae then got her smile that showed her great dimples, I so loved my BFF, if she was a boy I knew I would have to fight Raphraim for her attention, but as I liked boys far better I knew I would never go there. She then replied, " Oh Z, we knew we would have a full car, so I left her with her Aunt and Uncle at the House of Night, Darius and Aphrodite told me that they would be there upon your return."

So Aphrodite had gone back to the House of Night, she was such a good liar, I had no idea she was going back to the house. Ans so it seemed for now Dragon had made his peace, and with others in the house that he seemed to hate. I could still feel how stand offish he was, but the most important thing right now was to get home. Then from among the crowd came a voice that I hadn't heard in a long time, " You did well with all you had little queen."

I rose my head as the crowd seemed to part like the red sea, she walked forward with the grace and elegance I remembered, and to almost confirm this came another voice, " Aye lassie, ya be doin da right ting."

Oh. my. God. I loved them so much, and they were here, Sgiach and Seoras, I couldn't help myself, I threw my arm's around her neck. She then drew me back and kissed me on my cheek as Seoras said, " She be doin da talking of nothing but yea lassie, und it be doin da part we all are given Lil' lassie, now ifen it be within yea will can I have we lassie now?"

She nodded her head as he pulled out a piece of velum, it was rolled up all scroll like, and tied with a ribbon made out of purple silk, I took it from him and I nervously unrolled it. And Sgiach then said, " Zoey Redbird you are here and now declared a High Priestess of the goddess Nyx."

I knew I didn't have to read the piece of velum, I could see that it was all hand written, and the scribe was almost perfect, as it in more words basically said what Sgiach had just said. I could see that it required seven signatures on it, and there were only two on it, Sgiach's was clear and very large, the next was almost as large signature of Thantos, as I ran my finger over the name she smiled at me. Then Stevie Rae said, " We both got declared High Priestess's, mine says that I'm the first red High Priestess, and yours says that you're the first fledgling High Priestess. And Z you were right, they're paying to improve our tunnels, and best of all they're thinking of putting in a train line so we won't have to be bused in. But until then Sgiach has given us a monster SUV to drive back and forth in, even though none of us know how to drive it so well."

I was so happy for her I kissed her and hugged her, then Sgiach added, " The parchments still needs five signatures, but to make it more than official all it really needs is two more, then you will be a practicing High Priestess. We already have three in line to be elected, then I can return to my island."

Stevie Rae then continued with, " She can only stay until you officially return to the House of Night. Oh I almost forgot."

She then pulled out a very large white box, and I smiled as she presented it to me. I slowly lifted the lid, it was a very deep dark purple dress, she then said, " It's all yours Z, and look at it's left breast Z."

So I pulled the dress out so I could see the left breast of it, on it was embroidered the sign of the goddess, but on either side it had the wings of Erebus, and it was on a field of plaid. I knew this plaid very well, it was the sign of the clan MacUallis, I saw Stark in it enough to remember it very well. But my new dress even had more on it, the vie neck collar had gems sewn into it, they were alternating amber, ruby, sapphire, and emerald stones. It even had them on the sleeves they went to my wrist and extended down the long part, it was like those old dresses you saw great women in. But it really didn't stop there, just around the plaid there were nothing but amethyst jewels, it had to be the most beautiful and expensive dress I had ever owned. I had to look at everyone as I tried to hold back my tears, then Sister Mary Angelia said, " Your room has been set up so you can change young Priestess, will you used it one more time?"

Well I knew this was my cue, so Stevie Rae and Sgiach went with me to change, and as I had to laugh as Stark and Seoras stood outside our door guarding it. Well I also knew I had been out there for seven days, so I knew I really needed a shower, but all I had was what I had on, and I wasn't going to wear whatever the Nuns used for undergarments. I could have kissed Stevie Rae when she produced my little black bra and panties that went with them, I then took my shower, but I wasn't alone, and I was happy they were there, I mean a High Priestess couldn't break down and cry at this time. Well I have to say they did help me, not with my shower, that would just be wrong in more ways then I can count, but they helped with my hair, and as we moved from room to room both our guardians followed us around, well and Raphraim. As I sat down to do my make up Stevie Rae finished my hair, I looked at her through the mirror and said, " Sylcilia told me about the kids, now I wish I could have finished the job, but even though I figure Neferet owes me a life debt, I had no way to prove it."

Sgiach came in and helped me with the lining of my lips and said, " Yes, and as I have issued a warrant for her arrest, we have no way to prove her fault or guilt in what she did to the kids, we know she is culpable in they're deaths. The fact is that if she did as we believe, then you're as culpable as she is in their deaths, so in the end she still may walk away free of guilt. She is guilty of disobeying the edict of the High Council, but in the end the only one alive to know this edict is Thantos, and she is under heavy guard to keep her safe."

I knew what she said was the truth, and in our own way we had killed so many of those things, and if they were kids, she could manipulate the High Council to, and as we would never cover it up, we would definitely be found culpable in their deaths. Well I had to put that out of my mind, so I looked at the dress Stevie Rae was wearing, I couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in it, her was different then mine, but almost the same. It was a deep green, on it's arm's and around it's vie neck it had emeralds, I knew then that it represented our elements, the goddess on her left breast was different though. All she had was the goddess, then I saw something around where the goddess's eye's would be, they had sewn in red eye's, it was perfectly matched to her. Yes and I realized that my dress was made to represent all the elements I represented, my strongest being spirit, I then allowed my hand to trail over my collar. I turned my head to see Sgiach's dress, her's was truly different, it was black with just a hint of red in it, her sleeves totally stopped at her wrists, along the round collar and sleeves were sapphires. She had told me she didn't have an affinity with any element, she only had the favor of the water element, and on her left breast was her famous crossed swords. I then asked, " Did Erin get a dress like this also?"

Sgiach then looked at me and replied, " As with this occasion, we all did in a way, as it would be Shawnee and Erin's dress will be lighter, ours are heavier as we are true queens and High Priestess's."

Stevie Rae then added, " Well Damien is wearing one of his great black suits as usual, he was more than happy to wear the yellow shirt, but his cuff links and necklace are all made of amber just like ours."

She then put her hand over her mouth as if she had said to much, Sgiach then smiled at her as she presented me with a red box, and said, " It's all right Stevie Rae, she had to have it before we left any ways."

Well now I had a second box that I had to open slowly, it hadn't gone passed my attention that they both had on lovely necklaces, in fact they had on the most beautiful jewels I had ever seen. The box had four things in it, a ring with a big amethyst stone surrounded by the other element of mine, two earring's that mirrored the ring, then the necklace, it had a chain of silver with my motif of amber, ruby, sapphire, and emeralds. But most noticeable was the figure of the goddess, she was set in pure silver, it had diamonds all over it, and the amethyst's were placed to off set her eye's, lips, and the moon. I had to wonder how they could afford so much, did every High Priestess get one of these, it had to cost the amount in Fort Knox, wouldn't that drive them broke. This was far to expensive for me, and it had to be the most expensive thing I ever owned, wait maybe I didn't own this, maybe they only gave it to me on loan, I trailed my finger over it as if I would break it. Then Sgiach said, " Put it on, as a High Priestess this is now your marker."

My marker, like a brand, so this would show the world that I'm a High Priestess of Nyx, oh this would make a really good target for my step-loser, I then just picked up the necklace, it had to weigh a ton. I saw three very large clasps, and had to wonder if even this could hold all this weigh. Stevie Rae then helped me put it on as she said and moved my hair, " It's made of white gold, mines only regular gold."

Stevie Rae had really come prepared, she had a hair curler, and my hair had more curls then I had ever put in it, but I also had to notice just how long my hair had gotten. I mean it was always long, but now I could compete with Aphrodite, well I had to think her hair was still longer, but it did draped over my shoulder's the nicest I had ever seen. She had done something special to it also, it seemed to glitter, and it reminded me of the goddess's, it was as if I was seeing night in it for the very first time. Sgiach then did my earrings, and she put the ring on my left hand, I noticed how she put it on my third finger, it had to be the wrong finger, so I then asked, " Sgiach that has to be the wrong finger?"

She gave me a gentle smile as she replied, " Zoey you're a High Priestess and a queen, you're married to the people you serve, as you're to the goddess, you serve all now, and they will come to you for guidance." Well did this mean I couldn't get married to Stark, not that I was in a hurry to get married, but a girl wanted to have her options open, I then looked at her, and she seemed to read my mind as she added, " Yes Zoey as all of us, you can never marry Stark, but as I do, you can cherish him and love him, as I do Seoras. You can never be perceived other than being of the goddess or of the people, you can have him as if you were married to him, and at times you will have to do what you wish not to."

I had to look at my BFF right then, yes I could never marry him, so I had the choice in this, but she had a child with the one she loved. She smiled at me as I asked, " Is Raphraim ok with this?"

She looked at if she was a deer caught in the head lights of a car, she seemed to want to shake and nod head head at the same time as she replied, " Well yes, or no, well-"

I cut her off with, " You haven't told him yet, have you?"

She then replied in a low tone as her head went down, " No."

I put my hand on her arm and smiled at her as I said, " Well the two of you do have a child, maybe you can get special dispensation for a wedding."

" What?" Was all she asked as she looked straight at Sgiach, she gave her her gentle smile as she replied, " Well a High Priestess has never had a child before, I'll talk to Thantos and see what she thinks."

I smiled at her as I added, " Let alone the first Red High Priestess."

She looked at me sheepishly as I gave her a wink, then Stevie Rae showed me just how prepared she was, she pulled out my favorite ballet shoes, as I always said, a good pair of ballet flats went with everything. She knew me so well, yes I could wear high heeled shoes, but I just wasn't a high heeled kinda girl. In fact this dress was far more then I would ever wear, I liked a good dress, but most of mine went to or were above my knee's, this went down to the floor, and plus if I had my way, a T-shirt with a pair of jeans were my style. I could remember when I got my very first dress, or should I say real dress, my Mom loved to put me in those Mom dresses. I was thirteen, my Mom was going to take us out to dinner after school, so we had to wear our good clothes to school. That was the first time Heath got fresh with me, and I found out something really important, I really enjoyed how the boys looked at me. He also got into a fight that day to, he was defending my honor, I enjoyed this, and we kissed until my Mom interrupted us, at that point it was the best day of my life. Then my Mom had to ruin it, it was the dinner that they announced they were getting married, and I would loose my Mother forever.

I could feel myself getting misty, did I just write misty, well it really was all his fault, you see after they got married he bought my sister and me six very flowery dresses. And of course my Barbie sister loved them, they were pretty, but I just couldn't show him that I liked them, so they made it to the corner of my closet, in fact they still might be there. No they wouldn't, I bet he took out all my clothes and burnt them, of course I couldn't do this to Heath, so I did buy a few skirts, then you had my bikini, man boys could be really handsey, I'm sounding like my Grandma. Well I guess that's a good thing, it was just after that that I broke up with him for the first time, even though I did kinda like it, not the handsey part, everything he did to get me back. Wow I really miss Heath, and I could feel myself getting misty again, hey maybe that means I'm growing up, then I realized that I had done it again, yes my inner babble got hold of me again. Sgiach was just staring at me as she stood at the door, so I asked, " Is there something wrong Sgiach?"

She then replied, " I asked you if you were ready to go?"

" Oh I-"

Stevie Rae then interrupted me with, " She didn't hear you, Z gets caught up in her inner babble sometimes."

Well at first I gave her a look, but then I realized of just how right she was, so I shook my head as I said, " She's right, I'm sorry Sgiach, she knows me so well that sometimes it's scary."

Stevie Rae then smiled at me and said, " I'm her long lost Okiefied twin sister, not that she would ever be caught dead in these."

She then lifted the front of her dress to show us, yes cowgirl boots, and she was right I would never be caught dead in them, not that there's anything wrong with cowboy boots. But Sgiach surprised me with, " What are they, they're so lovely?"

Go figure, but it got worse, " Can you show me where I could buy a pair?"

Ok, she was corrupting Sgiach, that just wasn't right, a regal lady like Sgiach wearing cowboy boots. But I had to just ask, " Do you really want a pair?"

She nodded her head as Stevie Rae said, " Well then, we'll just have to set you up."

Well I just couldn't believe it, we were going to turn Sgiach into an Okiefied cowgirl, what next, a Garth Brooks shirt with Roper Jeans, oh and a ten gallon cowboy hat. What was next, a square dancing dress, well some of them could be pretty, but it just wasn't right, then Sgiach saved herself with, " I wish I could Stevie Rae, but as I said, I really can only stay until Zoey woke up, the High Council really must stay on the move right now."

I smiled at her as I said, " Hey maybe we could send you an Eskimo Joe's sweat shirt."

Stevie Rae then got her very perky side going as she said, " We can send you one of everything they have."

Ok I had to nip this in the butt, so I said to her, " Stevie Rae are you going to buy her all that stuff, I can barely afford my own clothes."

But she didn't answer, it was Sgiach, " Zoey, as I've already told Stevie Rae, the High Council will now set you up with an allotment, and also as I told her, it is to be spent on you as it is for the High Priestess. So Stevie Rae I don't want you to spend any of that money on me, oh and Stevie Rae please remember that it's for you to look like a proper High Priestess, I love your young clothes, but you should really spend it on dresses."

I looked at Sgiach and asked, " Then no jeans or cowgirl skirts."

" No jeans, I'm not sure about the cowgirl skirts."

" Well they are kind of cute, they're made out of jean material usually."

" Are they short, as in showing to much leg."

Stevie Rae then said, " Sometimes."

I added, " As in all the time."

" Then that would be a no, Stevie Rae you must show some decorum."

" Well I think I'm ready to go, you Stevie Rae?"

She nodded her head with a vigorous yes, and I loved how her hair seemed to bounce, we then turned to Sgiach whom had already opened the door. Ok, what happened next I think I saw once on a cartoon, Stark's mouth just dropped open, Seoras then looked at him. He (Seoras) then closed his mouth for him with his hand as he said, " Nae dunt get yea panties in a wad dar laddie."

All three of us just laughed at this, then we moved down the hall to Erin's room, she was already in the hall in a wheel chair. Her beautiful blue sapphire dress with blue sapphires all over it really set off her hair, and it really went well with her blue sapphire eye's. Her jewelry was less stated then ours, she had a rope chain, and I figured it had to be silver, ending in a smaller version of the goddess, even her straight hair was curled. I figured that's the way it had to be, I mean we were High Priestess, and she was just a High Priestess in training, she then looked up at me with thankful eye's as she asked, " Z, I heard you were the one that carried me to safety?"

I nodded my head as I replied, " You were the lightest out of the three."

" But I was dying, you should of just left me."

" Erin now you just stop, we didn't leave anyone that could be saved, plus you're part of my circle and my friend."

" Thank you Z, I really wasn't ready to die."

Well I couldn't help myself, I had to hug her, and as I did I whispered, " No one wants to die, but it will happen one day."

She whispered back after she kissed my cheek, " I'm so sorry about your Grandma, she was like my own Grandma, I really liked her a lot."

I had a small squeak to my voice as I whispered back, " I didn't like her, I loved her."

She then cried out with a loud, " OOOH NOO!"

I saw the tears running down her face, I wiped her face and said, " Now girl, you know Grandma would say just stop that, now are you ready to strut your stuff?"

It seemed to instantly change her expression from crying to laughter, then Stevie Rae came to her other side and we both helped her up. We then moved to the door and I said, " Ok Erin, make like Lady Gaga and show us you can walk."

We all giggled as Stark opened the door for us.

Zoey

Ok, this was kinda bizarre, as we left the door of the abbey warriors surrounded us, I had to wonder just how we were all going to fit in the SUV, they helped us with Erin. Well they really didn't, you see they surrounded the SUV, even Stark and Seoras were out side, it was kinda like one of those Presidential motor cads, except these guys could keep up with our vehicle. It was very impressive, and most of the humans watched us as we passed, they probably wondered who was so important. But I had to say my next thought, " I wonder if they would let us pass if they knew you were a vampyre."

Sgiach didn't reply, it was Sister Mary Angelia who did, even though I had to wonder why she was even with us, " What do you ever mean Zoey?"

" Oh, I was just thinking about the People of Faith."

" Zoey Redbird, things have changed."

Well I may not have been as grown up as my conversation skills were still on the same level as I just asked, " Hun?"

Sgiach then replied, " It's what I did with the Vatican."

Boy I was really on a roll with, " Hun?"

Sister Mary Angelia then took this Hun, " The religious council heard about you, for some reason the People of Faith moved to have you declared a servant of the Devil. It went very well for them, I did all I could, but I was in fear that all my efforts would fall on deaf ears, but then the Bishop presented a letter to them." She then crossed herself, then she continued, " It was from the Pontiff himself, he scolded the followers of Christ as this wasn't right, and he said he couldn't and wouldn't ever move against a friend of the church. Well the People of Faith moved immediately for a vote, they overwhelmingly voted for this, but then it started to happen, the Southern Baptist's bowed out of the vote. And when asked they said, ' We can not and will not vote on someone's fate without them being present to defend themselves."

Stevie Rae then interrupted with, " Z it was a land slid."

" What?" Then I caught myself and said in a more proper tone, " Exactly what does this mean?"

The good sister then continued, " Well without a proper vote they can't even bring it up, well the People of faith might try, but things went from bad to worse for them. The Jewish community then declared you a friend of the Jews, and not to be out done, the Muslim community then declared you a friend of Mohammed. So the bishop was able to put forward a move to declare you a friend of the Christian community in Tulsa, and with the mayors support they declare you a friend of Tulsa."

I could see the House of Night as we got close, I had always feared the Christian community here, now I was suddenly their friend, how could I let go of my hatred of them. But I did get passed it with Sister Mary Angelia, so there had to be a way, so I asked, " Does this mean I don't have to worry about my step-father anymore?"

Sgiach shook her head as Stevie Rae replied, " No Z, they quit the council with this, but they won't come against an Indian Princess."

Oh my intellect was back as I asked, " Hun?"

I was so glad the good sister was there, " Zoey, Sylvia left you everything, even her title, did you know she was a Shaman Princess. Now you own a lavender farm and you have a seat on the High Council."

My brilliance became complete with my next comment, " How does being an Indian Shaman Princess give me a seat on the vampyre High Council?"

Sgiach only giggled as Stevie Rae replied, " Not that High Council, the High Council of your tribe, and Z, you'll also receive an allotment from the Bureau of Indian affairs, you've been put on the roll."

" Roll? What roll?"

" The Indian roll silly, did you know that your sister and brother should been put on there to? Your sister was beyond joyful, she's moved into an Indian rent house to, and gotten away from your step-loser."

She then looked down as if she had said to much, but I really didn't notice it until after I said, " Good for her."

Sister Mary Angelia was the one that clued me in, as she whispered, " Stevie Rae don't."

So I had to ask, " Ok, what aren't you telling me?"

" Zoey it's your brother." I blinked at her in confusion, she gave me just a moment then she continued, " Zoey I have bad news, your step-father raped your sister, she's filed charges against him, but as they are both involved in the case the state has taken him away, he's now in foster care."

" What? No! We have to do something."

" My sisterhood is trying to get him moved, but as we have no affiliations here in child care our options are very limited, I'm afraid we haven't really a leg to stand on."

" I'll sue for custody."

Sgiach then said, " You really can't, I'm not saying that you can't take care of him, and even if you weren't just seventeen, you would face the public prejudice with our kind. You see Zoey our kind drinks blood, most Human Services don't see that as a working environment for a child, then we have the problem if your sisters case doesn't work out, he could reapply for custody. And lastly you have the problem of being a High Priestess, you would have to admit that you could never marry, and they really like to put a child with a couple."

Sister Mary Angelia then added, " Usually if you could get passed all this, and with you tie in with all that has happened, well I'm sorry Zoey, but you haven't much of a chance."

I couldn't believe it, the both of them were telling me to just give up, so I made the rounds, first Sgiach, then Sister Mary Angelia, and finally to my BFF Stevie Rae. She shrugged her shoulder's and she said, " Zoey it seems very simple to me, go to your sister and make things right, then tell her that you'll help her, and in the end she maybe able to get him herself."

I then asked, " Stevie Rae would you have me give up on him?"

" Well no, but I've already went round and round with them, I've kind of run out of options." I had to hug my BFF, and she knew me as she asked, " Ok, you know you have my support, so what are we going to do about him?"

Sister Mary Angelia then said, " Stevie Rae don't get her hopes up, we're already doing all that can be done."

" Sister there was this kid, she was really terrible, and everyone told her to give up on her, but she never did, she was right, and even the girl whom told her to give up was wrong."

I had to give her and even stronger hug as I said, " I think we need to put our best lawyers on it, and I do mean both cases, my step-loser can't win this one."

Sgiach then asked, " What put a vampyre lawyer on a human case?"

Erin then replied, " Why not, all vampyres are always yelling they want better relations with the humans, not only would this show our support, but it would also show that we support one of our own. I mean everyone knows about Z, and it's easy to see that she's her sister, would you leave Zoey out there alone if it were her, so this would be like showing that us vampyres aren't going to mess around."

We all looked at Erin, she was incredible, so I said to her, " Erin never allow anyone tell you you're stupid, because in my book you're a genius."

She smiled at me and said in soft tone, " Hey I can't be the pretty one any more, so I guess I'll just have to be the smart one."

We all knew what she was talking about, I then looked at her open toed shoes, and one of them only had three of them in it, I was so sorry this had happened to her.


	19. Chapter 19

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

The child within

Chapter 19

Then the SUV rocked to a halt, I did a very Stevie Rae thing, I hugged and kissed her and whispered to her, " You'll always be the pretty one to me."

The door then opened and Sister Mary Angelia then said, " Zoey help me with Erin, she has to ride in the wheel chair, it a very long walk to the temple."

Stark then stood there with her wheel chair, Stevie Rae then came over and said, " No you have to be the last one out with Sgiach."

The sister and her then helped her into her chair, she made a little fuss about covering up her foot, Stevie Rae was right there covering up her foot, then she stood up with Raphraim. I really hated all this, I just wanted to jump out and run away, what were they going to do, it had to be something cheesy, so then both Seoras and Stark helped out Sgiach. Now it was my turn, Stark put his hand out, and Seoras held onto my elbow, well I was always happy to take his arm. Then I stepped out and it happened, was it cheesy, kinda, everyone exploded into the most heart rendering cheer, I mean they were yelling and screaming and whistling. I mean my heart went up into my throat, as I tried to be the High Priestess demeanor, but I couldn't really hold onto it, I started to ball. Stark then reached over and gave me a tissue, and he put his other arm around my waist to steady me, then we walked up next to Sgiach, she gave me a look, and her smile said everything. So we walked to Nyx's temple, she guided us as I balled the entire way, they all followed next to me, I was so happy to have my family around me.

And they were all there, Damien pushed Erin's wheel chair, Shawnee walked next to it and in between us, then we walked up to the darkened temple, I was overwhelmed as she pointed to the temple. Then she whispered, " Zoey as the High Priest this is your show, now take back Nyx's temple for our goddess."

I then moved to the steps of her temple, I made it to the top step and turned around, as I did I saw just how truly small we were, then I spread my arm's and it became very silent. I then took in every face, and one at a time I nodded my head to them, then I spoke up, " I could say I do this for our goddess, I could even say I do this for me, but that wouldn't be true, even as much as I love my circle I can't say I do this for them, whom I do this for is you, yes each and everyone of you. And as we are children of Nyx and Night personified, I say now come and witness the retaking of our temple, as she is mine so she is yours."

Then I put on a loving smile as the cheers came along with the fist waving, then I helped my friend out of her chair and we all walked into the temple together. The insides of the temple looked as if someone had decided to take it apart, the first thing we did was cast a circle, I was in my element here, and it was as if I had felt and old friend. We did have a small problem finding purple candles, and I did have to wonder what happened to all of them, it was good that some of the kids had kept a few, then we sent up prays to the goddess. After this we started to clean the temple, and I mean everyone helped, student next to professor, next to warrior, next to Priestess's next to queen's, next to hey wait. It was then that I caught sight of her, she could have only been a toddler, and she was right next to us cleaning, well she really wasn't cleaning, she was more like looking under things, but she was beautiful, I had to blink my eye's. Stevie Rae was next to me as she said, " She's beautiful isn't she?"

From my other side came, " She's a wonder, and such a perfect child."

I moved my head to see Sister Mary Angelia, I then had to ask, " Stevie Rae is that Anastasia?"

But Stevie Rae didn't have to answer me, she did as she came up toward me and said, " Mama looky what I found."

As she saw me she skidded to a stop, her eye's then caught me, she had the most beautiful blue eye's, her skin wasn't as dark as Raphraim's or as light as Stevie Rae's, it was more like mine. You could see her hair matched Raphraim's, it was very dark with an almost green hue to it, I had no doubt that this was their child, she then spoke in an almost musical charm. " Excuse me Priestess, I didn't she you talking to my Momma."

She spoke so clearly to me, it seemed impossible that she was only seven days old, I then went down to one knee and said, " You can come to me anytime you wish Anastasia."

She then ran up to me and wrapped her arm's around me, Stevie Rae then said, " Anastasia this is your Aunt Zoey, can you call her Auntie Zoey?"

She then spoke in her perfect little voice, " Momma Auntie isn't the correct word, Aunt is the proper language here."

Oh I was so happy I kissed her all over her face, I also knew exactly where her remark came from, so I then said, " You've been talking to your Uncle Damien."

" Aunt Damien knows very proper English, Aunt Shawnee told me so."

This made us all stare at Shawnee, she then said, " Hey he was corrupting the kid for the rest of us, someone had to do something."

Stevie Rae then grabbed her and said, " Anastasia, your Uncle Damien is your Uncle not your Aunt."

I had to move to Damien because what she had said made me giggle, and I apologized, " I'm sorry Damien, but even you have to admit that was kind of funny."

He whispered back to me, " Yeah, but she's getting her's, have you noticed anything funny about her?"

I then turned my head to her, and she looked just like the rest of us, she had her perfect hair, everything was in place, even her orange lips seemed perfect. Then I had to shake my head to clear it, and yes I did see it. Oh. My. God. She was going to kill him as he whispered to me, " Her lips."

So I had to look a third time to make sure I saw what I saw, Shawnee was very proud of the fact that she had found flaming red lipstick, her lips were orange. So I just had to say in my regular voice, " Oh Damien, she's going to kill you."

Her head snapped up as she asked, " What? Did you say something to me?"

Erin's eye's then got very large, as she pulled out one of her many mirrors from her purse, she then gave it to Shawnee, and I had to say, " Damien I'd run if I were you."

He made it to the door as she yelled, " I'M GOING TO KILL YOU DAMIEN!"

Then from my side came, " Ha, ha, ha, Damien and Shawnee are funny."

I looked down as she took my hand, I smiled at her as she asked, " momma told me you knew Grandma the best, Momma told me that she brought me into this world."

I really wanted to cry right then, but I saw Stevie Rae and Raphraim smiling at me, I then picked her up and replied in a squeaky voice, " I did know her best, she was my Grandma to."

Then I just cold hold it in, I cried, I kissed her all over her face, then I moved to petting her hair, and she said to me, " Don't cry Auntie Zoey."

I then sucked it all in and sat down, I then pulled her down on my lap and asked, " Anastasia would you like to hear a good story?"

" Yes I love stories."

" There once was this very young Indian Princess, she didn't know what she had until it was all gone." She then gave me a blank stare, " She had a great fairy god mother, this fairy god mother did everything for this Princess. But this Indian Princess didn't know their days were numbered, so she didn't appreciate what she had." A tear rolled down her face, " Then a very dark time came and she was forced to save another, but she did the right thing for this other person. The other was the first of her kind, but she really didn't know that. So she left this world for a time after she was gone." She was now crying so I held her tightly as he asked, " She was so sad, did she ever come back?" " Yes she did, she realized that she was very selfish, she owed herself to everyone in the world. And the best thing was of all things she didn't realized what she had until then, even though her sadness couldn't be relieved." She giggled and asked, " Did she find her Prince charming?" " No Anastasia, she realized she had to become the fairy god mother then to."

Then it happened, every eye in the place wasn't dry, Stevie Rae then cried a little, " Oh my."

She ran up to Stevie Rae and asked, " Momma I want to have a fairy god mother, and I'll appreciate her."

Stevie Rae then picked her up and kissed her all over the face, and Raphraim then replied, " Anastasia I think you just got one."

As I said there wasn't a dry eye in the place, even the hard and ever present Shawnee, whom at that moment had Damien in a head lock, was crying. So everyone was crying except for two people, the one that had shed just to many tear in the last few days, and the one that loved her to death, he was more concerned about her. So I sat on the floor as he came next to me, he then put his hand on my shoulder, I looked up at him, I realized that I would never be the same again, but I had to wonder if this pain would ever fade. He put his arm around me, then I ducted my head into his chest, I allowed myself to be comforted by him. He kissed my forehead and stroked my hair. I wanted to be cheerful for him, I wanted to be my old self, but I think just to much had happened to me. Maybe this is why my Grandma always lived alone, maybe my lot in life was to move to her lavender farm and be by myself from now on. But then what would I do about all those whom depended on me, not I was condemned to live this life from now on. I never wanted this, it was thrust upon me, my life had been forever changed by what the goddess had done to me.

In the small town of Nowata Oklahoma

A woman named Olivia Johnston had just given birth, she was just a young girl of sixteen, and she had given birth out of wed-lock, she had blue hair and brown eye's. Her dead end boyfriend whom had left her had light brown hair and blue eye's, neither of them had any Indian blood in them what so ever, so why was her new baby look like an Indian. Well everything except for her brilliant blue eye's, she hadn't had sex except with one boy, and even then he had to talk her into it, she was afraid of what might happen. The day he walked out her fears were realized, she had told him to try and get him back, she knew it was a desperate attempt to get him back, and she really didn't know how she felt about him. He seemed like the man that she so wanted, but then the things he said to her, it had came to her that he was a very vindictive and petty man, now she had his and her child, would this be it, would her life end forever. There was no clear answer to that question, she had made plans to move away and go to Oklahoma City, after all her father had made it clear he did want her, so her and her daughter would make their new life there.

Then they wheeled her out through the door, she did give her father one last chance, she told him the exact time she would be released, so would he be here to pick her up. She held tightly to her tickets as the exited the hospital, she search the parking lot, her father was no where to be seen, she then took her new baby from the nurse and got into the cab. She took one last look, nothing, so she said to the driver, " I need to go to the Bus station."

He nodded his head as he turned on the meter, she held her new baby closely and started to cry, the driver then pull into the bus station, she could see that it would be all except for a dollar seventy three cents. She carefully reached into her purse to give him the last bit of money she had, he looked at he in the rear view mirror, then he spoke to her, " Lady you look like you need this more then me, so just keep it."

She was so thankful she shook his hand and kept saying thank you to him, then she got out to wait for the bus in the heat of the day. Nowata wasn't like a big town, she just couldn't go inside and wait, at leased they had a awning she could wait under. So she just stood there waiting for the bus, then an old Chevy pick-up screech to a halt , and the door popped open, then a familiar voice said, " Get in here Olivia."

She new this voice very well, after all she had heard it for the sixteen years of her life, she then climbed up into the cab, he father then said as he looked off, " You know I don't like it, but we are family Olivia, now come home to your mother and me."

She then replied, " Daddy it has a name."

" I know but it's going to take a little getting used to, but she's yours, and we never turn our back on family."

" Momma made you do this, didn't she?"

" Olivia Raylee Johnston, you know we always discuss all our decision, so you know we did talk about it, but in the end it's always my decision, so will you give your poor old father a chance just this one time. Now I'll be truthful, I really don't want to raise another child, I've already raised six and you were my last, I was looking forward to my retirement, but I can't loose my baby girl. So here's the plan, this baby is all yours, we will give you a helping hand where we can, but she's you responsibility, I don't want to get up in the middle of the night to take care of it. Your Momma is going to want to take care of it, but you know she has a weak ticker, so it will be your responsibility to make sure she doesn't do to much for you, now do you think you can do that for me?"

" Oh Daddy I'll do what I can, but you know Momma."

" I know Olivia, this is in between you and me, I'm treating you like the young woman you've become, now will you at least try?"

" Ok Daddy, I promise that I'll try."

" Well that's all I ask, Now does it have a name?"

" Yes Daddy, I decided to name her after Grandma."

" Which one, you know you have two?"

" Yours silly."

" Sylvia is a good name," He then moved her blanket that hid her face and he said, " Hey Sylvia, I'm your Grandpa Darrel." Olivia then kissed him on the cheek, he smiled at her and said, " Ok Honey lets go home."

Then he put the truck into gear and wheeled out of the gravel parking lot, his truck was old so he had to make a wide turn, but it wasn't as if he hadn't done it before. And it wasn't as if anyone was going to pull him over, after all he was the chief of police, then they went home, and she would fell the love of a truly loving family. It was to bad that in sixteen years she would become a vampyre.

Zoey

Would I ever be happy again, could I ever be happy again? Well I would have to try for Anastasia. I knew I loved Stark, and I knew I could be there for him, and I would always put on a smile for him. I would do this for his love. He then took me by my arm and led us up to our room, yes I said up to our room, I was a High Priestess now, so I would live up where Neferet had. Well on her floor there were four rooms, Stevie Rae took the first one, and I took the one next to hers, it was more so I could keep an eye on her room. You see I knew she was hurt, and I knew she probably wouldn't be back, but she had fooled me so many times, in my mind I was just making sure she didn't return. I had no idea of what I would do if she did return, probably try to kill her as I knew she would be trying to kill me. But would she make the mistake of showing her face, the High Council would be very interested in this, whatever she would do it would probably be big, I couldn't be sure, but I had a feeling she would return. I had to wonder if it would be better to just let her kill me, then I could return to my Grandma, and of course then I would have to wonder what purpose that would serve.

Then that very small low voice came to me. _No daughter it would fill no purpose. _But how could I live without her. I_n all things I have a purpose, and it wasn't her time to die, I couldn't stop her because it was her choice, but I have made sure she will reenter your life. _What's that suppose to mean? _The very day she died she walked into a new life. _You're wrong, I spoke to her, you put the wrong spirit into that body. _Daughter I exist neither in time or space, I can put her into whatever existence I desire, I could have put her into a life that would exist right now, but I had to wait for a true life that would help her exist. _Grandma's alive? _Yes and no, you see she does exist, but she will never know of her old life until she dies again, even then she'll only see it as a faded existence, so in truth she is a new creation. _But she does exist, and I will see her again? _Yes daughter, you will be her High Priestess. _Well that will be cool, hey wait you said I will be her High Priestess, does that mean she'll be a vampyre? _I am the goddess of all the vampyres, would you have me have it any other way? _No, no, I'll be the best High Priestess she's ever had, now how will I know her? _You won't, you will see the signs, but it will be up to you to recognize them, and daughter it will never get easier for you._

Stark reached over and wiped the tears from my face. He then kissed me and asked, " Zoey what is it?"

I kissed him back and whispered to him, " I talked to my goddess, she told me I'm going to be the High Priestess to my Grandma."

" Zoey I know why she told you that?"

" Why Stark?"

" You're in a funk, everyone knows it, and they're worried as hell for you, you're very good at putting on that fake smile, but everyone sees through it you know."

I had to giggle as I said, " I kinda knew I wasn't fooling them, but I have to, oh Stark I think I've change, the death of my Grandma put me over the top, I so want to return to Sgiach's island, but I know I can't."

He kissed me very gently as he whispered, " I know Z, just like when I changed when I almost lost you, I want to be that old guy you knew, but even I find it hard sometimes, but we are still who we were always, different but the same."

I had to kiss him, if anyone really understood what I had been through he did, and I made up my mind that just for him we would try at least once a week, you know to do what we are both just so good at. Then I allowed him to take me, it was never the same after we found out about his problem, but it was him, all of him, and I guess it was all of me, truly all of me. It was all we could really give to each other to show we still loved one another. And besides, we really did love each other. As we finished up he said to me, " Z you did good."

I giggled as I said, " Well I hope so, I mean you're only the second guy I ever did this with."

" No Z, the other night, the way you handled everything was right on the mark."

" Oh, well it was only right."

He then put his arm around me and whispered, " How's my little queen doing?"

I kissed his hand and whispered back, " Not so well, but I think I'll survive, hey was my Grandma's funeral really cool?"

He kissed my ear and whispered into it, " I don't know, I was a little preoccupied at the time."

Then I curled up in a ball, and he was right there for me, and with this I started to remember all the good times we had had. He was me and I was him, we were exactly right for each other right then, two scared souls as one, yes he was my soul mate no matter what had been done to him. And the House of Night would never be the same for me, it would be a place of fear and dread to me, we always joke that it was hell high, well now it was for me. The strange thing, I only felt safe in the tunnels, could I live there, of course not, but I knew I couldn't begrudge Stevie Rae if she ever wanted to live there again. I could see the sun setting, and he rose and said, " Zoey go take a shower, I'll go check around the building, then I will join you."

I nodded my head and he was gone, I then took my naked body and put on my robe, I then crossed the hall and knocked on Stevie Rae's door, Anastasia then answered the door. Raphraim was just coming around, and Stevie Rae held it open for her, she smiled at me and said, " Momma it's Auntie Zoey."

Stevie Rae then asked, " Is everything ok Z?"

I replied, " No I was just going to take a shower, but as this is my first day I figured I would come to you and ask you where they are."

I spoke it then asked a question, but she replied, " Oh Z, I forgot, ok let me show you."

We then walked back in my room, she then walked over an opened what looked like a closet, it was very old, it had one of those iron claw tubs with a big shower head. The tile that covered every inch was white with intermittent black tiles, the sink was just as old, and it had two toilets, I just had to point at them and ask, " His and hers?"

" No Z, the other one has a strange French name, it's for after you're done, it's kinda strange, you see you turn this nob and it washes you out, I've been a little scared to use mine."

" Oh, well that's different, I think I would be a little scared to use it also."

" Well that's why I made sure you had enough paper, but that shower head is really cool, I mean the both of you can take a shower at the same time, we still take our with Anastasia though."

" Anastasia would you like to take a shower with Aunt Zoey?"

She then giggled as she replied, " Yes, but it would drive Daddy crazy."

" Well we wouldn't want that, anyways Stark said he would come and join me, that might be a little awkward."

Then from out in the hall came, " Anastasia where are you?"

She laughed and replied, " We're in here Daddy, we're helping out Auntie Zoey."

Stevie Rae then added, " Raphraim she's in nothing but a robe, go into our shower and we'll join you in a minute."

" Ok my lover," he replied.

I then asked, " Stevie Rae you really should get him to call you something like Babe or Honey, Lover is just so, well it is true, but it's just so-"

" Crass," came from the door, we all looked up to see Aphrodite, she then added, " Just checking to make sure you're still here and haven't check out again."

I answered, " I'll be fine Aphrodite."

Then in her own why she said, " Well I was checking on my best girl, I mean it's hard as hell to get another one at this late date."

" What? Hey are you asking me to be your bridesmaid?"

" Well hell, I never asked you?"

" No."

" Ok, then here it is, Zoey Redbird will you be my maid of honor?"

" No I can't."

" What?"

" It's a little hard to do that and conduct the wedding you know."

She put her hands on her perfect hips and said, " For shits sake, don't you think I thought of that, I had Daddy get me the Bishop to marry me, after all he has to pay for my wedding."

Stevie Rae then giggled as she said, " She's driving him crazy, I think this maybe the largest wedding in Oklahoma, and you should see her Mom, once every other day she's here to ask about new preparations, hey isn't she do today?"

I had to cringe at this, she saw me do this and she asked, " Hey why do you do that every time my Mom is mentioned?"

Well I was caught so I figured I had to confess, " Do you remember that first parents visit, the last time my Mom and her step-loser were here?"

" Yeah."

" Well I ran away, and I witnessed two parents talking to their little girl, as I did this I realized my parent weren't as bad as hers, I wanted to run away from this, but I was trapped, so I kinda ease-dropped."

" Oh you heard that, did you hear all of it?"

" Yeah, well most of it, I can't believe they actually talked to Neferet, did they even know what they did to you?"

" Of course not, the two of them are totally clueless, but you knew I wasn't really going to do what they told me to do?"

I shook my head and said, " No, you could say I was clueless, but it did make me see you in a new light, and with that we became friends."

She then laughed as she said, " Yeah, I've had dreams of sucking them dry, but if I had I would have never seen this, and I have to thank Stevie Rae for that."

" What?"

Stevie Rae then said, " I only told her that it was his duty to pay for her wedding, not that you're going to do it, but it is as if your step-loser has to do the same thing."

" Well you're right there, he's the last guy I would want at my wedding."

Anastasia then asked, " Why do you always call Grandpa step-loser for?"

" Anastasia my Grandma was the defunct Grandma for all of us, she really wasn't your Grandma, and the step-loser is whom my Mom remarried to, he is a really bad man."

" But she really was an Indian queen though right?"

" Well kinda, she was an Indian Shaman Princess, and now she's dead I've became what she was, but one day I'll take you out to a wonder land, it's called a lavender farm, there're places there with real power."

" Did she have a throne?"

" You can say her little house was her throne, but where she loved to sit was just a couch, she was just like you or me."

Stevie Rae then said, " Anastasia Daddy maybe worrying about us, we should leave Auntie Zoey to her shower." She nodded her head, then Stevie Rae picked her up, she smiled at me and as she got to the door she said, " Later Z."

I smiled at them and said, " Later Stevie Rae and Anastasia."

She waved as they left, well I just had to wave back, Aphrodite then said, " Damien drills her everyday, it's freaky how well she talks, do you know she was wobbling only hours after she was born, and Z she's as fast as any warrior."

" How would, oh I forgot about Darius."

" Yeah, and they have foot races some times, I think he lets her beat him, but she really is fast. So Z, what's your answer?"

" About what? Oh yeah. Well I guess as long as I don't have to be out front."

" All right then, I'll give you the name to the dress shop later, I really should go and take my own shower."

" Well I guess that would be a good idea, well unless you want to take a shower with me and Stark."

I then gave her a look, she smiled at me as she said, " No I have my own hunk to take a shower with, and Z?"

" What Aphrodite?"

She said as she was leaving, " Don't get any on you."


	20. Chapter 20

Stevie Rae's child

Written by Thomas G. Arndt

I had a nightmare

Chapter 20

I was all for starting classes that day, but it was very sad, the class rooms were so empty, Sister Mary Angelia had left when we were done, and Sgiach left just as classes started. I had decided to go with my jeans and T-shirt, it was my normal attire, Lenobra said I should dress my part as the High Priestess, but in the end I made a good argument for normalcy this new day. I mean it was a little strange to be followed around by a guard, that was one argument I wasn't going to win, as we had a full seven to be guarded it was a little strange. Especially when you counted our guards, Stark, Sylcilia, Darius, Thomas, and Dragon, yeah we were a little short on our guard department, Lenobra took up the slack, even that still only made six for seven. There was two relieves as Stevie Rae and Aphrodite didn't have to go to class, but they, just as we just wanted to get back to normal. Thantos had told Aphrodite that she would take her under her arm as soon as the emergency was over, but we first had to find where Neferet was, and secondly we had to make sure that she was behind the attack, if she wasn't, then we had a whole new set of problems.

Oh and you may want to know why we had to have guards, well that morning the first time I woke up in my new room, after we got dressed, both Stark and I went to check Neferet's room. Then when we thought we were done I saw something, I pulled the spirit of the wind to trap it, it was as if I knew that's exactly what I had to do, everyone heard the screech, then Stark let loose and arrow. We all happened upon it as it laid under my window, it had landed in a very large bush, Dragon pulled the Raven Mocker out of it, I helped Stevie repair the bush, she was all into saving the trees now. I told Dragon to take it outside the wall and burn it, I also told Raphraim that he could be there since it once was one of his brothers, but this totally freaked out Dragon. So I agreed to have a council meeting after classes, then we sat around and just argued about what needed to be done, you see I had talked to Sister Mary Angelia, and we had decided to restart our volunteer work. Well he was all for canceling this, but even Lenobra was sure we needed to keep this up, so he agreed with it just as long as there was one guard for every three kids, getting this was like pulling teeth.

So in a way classes got back to normal, if you could really call it normal, but I had other duties to attend to, in the first three days I don't think I ever left my desk in the library. Yes I could have used Neferet's desk, but do I have to say anymore about that, I did have Dragon and Thomas search her office fifteen minutes before the hour every hour. I was a little terrified that she might show up, well maybe more horrified then terrified, I think I was a little scared of what I might do, she did have a wonder why she had men's clothed in her closet. And then there was all the brown stuff, I mean it almost covered her rugs, Lenobra removed them all after talking to Carla, oh did I tell you we had three new red vampyres. My Grandma's farm I had given to the tribe to work, I mean they all new it was still mine, but I really didn't have time to work it. I mean I had to do two ceremonies that week, then you had the Indian meeting I had to go to, and then I had to go to abbey and straighten that all out. It was a wonder I even got any free time to myself, oh and I had to pick my successor to the Dark Daughter, and of course it would be the twins.

Well everything was going very smoothly, almost to smoothly. We had almost forgot about the Raven Mocker. Well everyone except for Dragon, I think he stayed up during the day, he also put in for any extra Sons of Erebus we could get. He had one of the kids on the computer almost all the time, it began the sign to run when you saw Dragon coming. And yes he would have thought of yet another remote House of Night that could us a warrior, not that any came of course. I kept telling him that the general alarm went out and there wouldn't be any, but he felt that he had to put the call out just the same. He said that it wasn't right for our house to be so under strength, well it was our normal routine to walk to the girls dorm just before classes. Well it was more that Dragon had made it an order for all guards to make sure it was safe. He would take Lenobra and Thomas with him, they would go to the boys dorm. And it was Darius's responsibility to take Stark and Sylcilia with him to the girls dorm. Since our men were in one group Aphrodite and I would change off. I would be with Darius one day while Aphrodite would go with Dragon, then the next we would switch, Dragon wasn't very happy about this.

Well it was a Wednesday that it happened, and the evening would fall upon me to walk with them, I mean Darius and all them, it was just a little over one weak since the first encounter with the Raven Mocker. As we walked I felt all the hairs on the back of my neck go up, I wasn't a fool, I stopped dead in my tracks and started to search the air. He then tried to make a round for it, but no one could escape Stark's arrow even if they tired to. He was dead instantly, I made sure classes went on as usual, I knew I couldn't get out of a meeting, so I did call a general meeting with all the High Priestess's, professors, and prophetess. Of course Stevie Rae was very happy with this, as in not. We sat around and discus the significance of yet another Raven Mocker's appearance. Dragon then said what would start the true conversation, " We need to call the High Council in on this, we need more warriors if Kalona is to attack."

Lenobra then answered, " Dragon two Raven Mocker's don't constitute a full out attack by Kalona."

Then Aphrodite spoke what I'm sure no one wanted to hear, " Three, I mean this has been technically the third."

Stark then blink with a blank expression as he said, " The guy is obsessed with you Z, what will it take to get him to realize you don't want him. Zoey despises your guts. Well at least I hope she hated his guts."

I then answered with an undeniably maybe, " Well I'm not going to be with a guy that wants to possess me."

Yeah that's what I said all right, it would have been better to say more like, ' NO! Of course not, he's a jerk.' I was so happy that my BFF then said, " Hey y'all, the numbers really don't add up here." I think it was about six of us that asked at the same time, " What?" She then continued with, " Ok, now y'all know Darius killed like five, Stark and Z have added to that number by only three, added to the ones that Dragon killed, well I'm just saying the numbers ain't enough."

Dragon then looked at her and said, " She is correct, he had far more, he had at least three hundred we knew about. My poor departed wife with the help of the fledglings accounted for at least twenty, with the eight I killed. Well that doesn't added up, and we know he sent some to look for Zoey, so our numbers can't be that accurate. His agenda has to be something other than Zoey, we know because it is obvious that he's targeting her, we had no problem until she returned. With his thought that you are his Aha, he would have sent more to target you."

I had to swallow hard as I got it, I was about to ask a question when Stark beat me to the punch, " So you're saying that he's still obsessed with Z, I don't see your point."

Dragon looked at his hip quiver as he asked, " Stark how many arrows can you hold in your quiver?"

" Twenty, if I carry arrows at the ready I can add an extra four."

" And if you carry a huntsman quiver?"

" Forty why."

" Ok Stark so you can kill forty-four on your own before they can get to you, with our special warriors we could kill maybe another twelve to maybe twenty, that give an overwhelming sixty-four. Now even with our best effort he has the numbers, he could easily overwhelm our defense of her, if he is this obsessed with her, he has to realize he could have already had her. With his success he would have her, it's almost like he's trying to cloud our sight, as if he's trying to get us to look at something else."

Darius whom stood at the door with Sylcilia then said, " A faint."

Ok, I had no idea of what he was talking about so I asked, " What's a faint?"

Dragon replied, " My High Priestess, it's an action of war, when you want to trick an enemy into believing something else, you throw a faint at them. This gets them to look else where, as he seeks his real target, you only have to use a small portion of your army to go looking in rabbit holes. As you do this, it usually takes away your best option of seeing the real truth of what is happening, then your forces are to committed to help with the real target."

Lenobra then asked, " I see the truth in this, but this faint isn't direct at us, it's directed at Zoey, so why would he want to have her eye's else where?"

Aphrodite then replied, " Well that's obvious, he's targeting one of us, but we already know all his bull shit."

Ok, now my eye's got big as I realized his real target, " Everyone except Sgiach, it makes sense now, his target was her all along, he had to wait until she left, I mean I was here. I don't know why I didn't see it before. Kalona was like totally gone on me, but as we all know he just couldn't let Neferet go, I even gave him the option once. He considered it, but in the end he just couldn't give her up, how could a man love someone so much, yet hold onto someone he really hated. Sylcilia text Sgiach and tell her to watch out for him, I don't think he was holding onto the evil, he was holding onto something she could bring to the table, we all know what she tried to do. He held onto that evil-"

Stevie Rae then cut me off with, " Witch that begins with a B." Then she looked around the room as she added, " I think it's her power he was after, or the power he thought she really had."

" Yeah that's it! Stevie Rae you're a genius! He was kicked out by the goddess, he's not really after the power as much as he's after her children, in fact we all knew about the High Council."

Stevie Rae then looked at me and asked, " Do you think his hatred out weighs his love for you?"

I nodded my head as Dragon asked, " Zoey do you think he's behind the deaths of the High Council members?"

I shook my head as I replied, " No, I mean he did have something to do with their disappearance's, but he swore on his honor that he would never hurt one of the goddess's own, and his honor is everything to him."

Lenobra then said, " Zoey I wouldn't think he could so easily turn them, but then again I wouldn't think a High Priestess would turn from our goddess."

Sylcilia then broke in with, " Zoey I fear for Sgiach, she is taking far longer then I would like to text back, she would answer right away if she knew it was you."

I nodded my head as I said, " Don't worry Sylcilia, I don't think she could be swayed, her and Seoras are to much in love, and she would have gone down to the death if he even tried."

Dragon then asked, " Then by your tone you are supposing that she's fallen? And she was his target all along?"

It was as if he was just stating a fact, I then replied, " Yes I now believe that, and his next target would be the new Sgiach, she won't be as strong as the one we have now, and I wish we had the time to morn her death if we are right. Lenobra contact Thantos and in form her what we fear, and make sure she knows that she could be the next target, oh and the possibility that the council members may not be dead, and that they make a reappearance as clients of Kalona. She may want to keep a large force of Son's of Erebus mobilized just in case, and stay hiding from him." She then pulled out her cell phone and started to text, as she did this I went on with, " If Sgiach was truly his target, and she is truly dead, I feel his next target maybe your truly. After all I am the four element girl, and he has to know that I in my own way am very important."

" Zoey, as we have all heard he is infatuated with you, but what make it worse is that you know all his tricks, you recognized his evil before anyone had, if he has lost his target, he will figure that it was you that gave him away. With the deaths of his children, he has to know that you're onto him, so you will become a threat. I'll do my best to put out a call for as many warriors as I can get, but my calls have been falling on deaf ears, I could not imagine that all the sons of Erebus are worried about defending you."

Stark then asked, " Dragon what if he sent them to their deaths, what if he saw them as dead anyways, I mean like sacrificial lambs?"

Sylcilia then squealed as she said, " She's alive, Seoras text me, he said they were attacked, they defend till the end, the clan McUallis made them pay for their attack dearly, they lost many warriors. His attack was unplanned and uncoordinated, many of his bird things fell, he was forced into retreat, but they had to retreat to her island, she can't text because of how damaged her arm is. He said she was like a warrior poet in combat, Zoey he said they, her and him took the lives of fifty themselves, but he only brought with him maybe one hundred Raven Mocker's with him."

Thomas whom stood at the window watching for an attack then said, "One is to many to loose to the likes of him, but that is his Achilles heel."

Dragon then said, " Speak more plainly Thomas."

" He knows not defeat, so he ever under estimates his foe, you said he had over three hundred, if he even had an idea that he might loose he would have brought more, he seems like a prideful man. If I am right, he had no idea of how well our brothers and sisters would fight, and he took no stock in the fact that she's call the great takers of heads, so he sowed his demise even before he fought."

Raphraim until then whom had remained quiet because he knew he was only there because of Stevie Rae spoke up, " He is correct about this, my father had spawned thousands of his children, Zoey's original brethren were very mighty warriors, but in their pride they focused their attacks on him and not his children. They never learnt this weakness of his, but when they did face my brothers and sisters alone we lost many, but they learnt as you did to always watch the sky, humans never look up. And now your first reaction is to do just that, he can never perceive that you would ever adapt to him, change your tactics and he's done for."

I had to look at him, he had just broke his word to his father, this wasn't the Raphraim we all learnt to love, I then said to him, You've changed Raphraim."

" Yes I have, now I something even more precious to protect."

Everyone knew who he talked about, so I spoke my mind, " We all want to protect her Raphraim, and as I've said many times before we'll do our best. Lenobra can you update Thantos with our new information?"

" Already done Zoey," she replied, then added, " As we are sisters in this battle with darkness, I would say we update our tactics and arm ourselves as well."

" Lenobra I'm barely good enough with a bow, I don't think a sword would help much."

Stark then said, " Z I don't think she's talking about swords?"

" Then what?"

" A gun Z, I think Lenobra is asking you to carry a gun."

" Stark I wouldn't know how to use one."

" Don't look at me Z, remember I'm bow boy here."

I was about to say something as Lenobra spoke up, " We rely on our powers through the goddess, but it is always good to have a back up, just in case. I can show you how to shoot, and even the right gun size for your size."

Stevie Rae then asked, " Wouldn't that be like slapping our goddess in the face? I mean aren't we suppose to rely on our powers?"

I didn't really know how to answer this, in one way she was right, and the other I saw the point of Lenobra, so I replied with, " Ok lets look at this, yes the goddess wants us to rely on our powers, but on the other hand the goddess has given us the modern age to rely upon. Yes Stevie Rae, the goddess would have us use our powers first, but we must also avail the use of the modern age. What does this mean to us as her High Priestess's, we could use this as a last resort, as a gift to just be used."

She nodded her head, I knew how reluctant I was, so I felt her reluctance in my own fear, hell I would probably pull mine out and shoot myself in the foot, and why couldn't we just rely on our powers. Lenobra then spoke up, " Ok Zoey, we'll use the archery range to give them the practice they'll all need, you won't need but familiarization in fire arm's, and a good pick for your fire arm."

Dragon then asked, " I have a grouping of six hand guns, whom do we need to train?"

Darius was the first one whom spoke up, I mean he beat them all to the punch, " Her entire circle, and the prophetess at hand, she can be gotten to through all of them."

It was funny how both Aphrodite and Kramisha said at the same time, " Shit!"

As Sylcilia walked between two windows she spoke up, " Zoey should inform Damien and the twins, she can relate the good reasons behind this."

She and Thomas circulated between the windows, we didn't have enough warriors to cover all six, as I said, " Oh thanks a lot, I can hear Shawnee right now, ' Have you lost your ever loving mind!"

" If my queen can't do it then I shall."

I looked at her as I was half tempted to say, ' Oh hell yes you're going to tell them,' but I knew I had to bite the bullet so to speak, so I said, " No Sylcilia, they are my friends after all, and their High Priestess, both ways say it has to be me."

Stevie Rae then said, " Maybe we should do this together, you know moral support."

" Good idea, hey maybe we should bring Anastasia with us."

" Ok, but I get to hold her."

" Coward."

" Why did you want to bring her in the first place?"

" I never said I wasn't a coward."

" I'm just saying."

" Then you can tell them."

" Ok then, Raphraim gets Anastasia."

" Well then she doesn't even have to be there then."

" Safer then allowing her in harms way."

" Ok," I sighed as I then asked, " what time is it?"

Lenobra then looked at a very beautiful watch and replied, " I think dinner is just getting started."

" Perfect timing, you ready to face the music Stevie Rae?"

She smiled at me as we both slowly stood up and she replied, " Lets go see how many of our own teeth we can pull in this."

Lenobra then stood up as she said, " I should be there also, after all I'll be doing the training."

" Good we can redirect the twins attention to you."

I then said, " Easy peesy."

Lenobra then said, " I may regret this."

" Hey you volunteered."

Stevie Rae then said, " Besides how bad could it be."

Then we walked to the door together, and as we reached it Dragon cleared his voice, I turned my head and saw them all still sitting, so I then said, " Oh meeting adjourned."

We then walked across the campus, I'm telling you this you can see how we traveled from place to place. Dragon stopped us at the door, Darius and Thomas then ran out, a few minutes later they came back and said it was clear. Then and only then were we allowed to leave, as the five of us broke the door the warriors spread out. I mean there were only five of them, but they felt the need to do this. Oh maybe I should tell you our fifth was Kramisha, even though I figured you already knew that our forth was Aphrodite. If you looked at us we didn't look like four very important people. Stevie Rae and I in jeans and T-shirts, Aphrodite was always good at the looking like a sweet whore, in fact if there was a true look for a hooker that would be Kramisha. She loved very bright colors with it being as tight as it could be, I guess you could say the only regal one in the bunch was Lenobra. We seen her in her riding clothes most of the time, but at a meeting like this she had on I think real cargo pants, brown, with a nice tan blouse, and loafers, in fact this was the first time I ever seen her in other then her usual boots.

In fact, I had to think that most would have seen us as, and thought we were three kids with their teachers, Lenobra and Aphrodite as the teachers, Aphrodite as a teacher, can you imagine that. I mean both Stevie Rae and I looked and were seventeen, Kramisha looked eighteen, the one thing that would tell them other wise was the fact that all five of us had full tattoo's. Two fully sapphired, two fully rubied, and then you had Aphrodite, they may have looked at her as just a student.


End file.
